Crystal Work: How To Use Your Crystals

So, let’s say you’ve just purchased, or received, a gorgeous, awe-inspiring crystal geode, single terminated wand, tumbled stone, rough specimen, cluster, sheet, pendant, bracelet, earring set, or amulet.

Maybe you may hold it in your hand and feel the energy emanating and jumping out from it.

Maybe you’re transfixed with how pretty it is, and you just can’t stop staring at it.

On the other hand, maybe being around crystals, especially many at one time, when you’re not usually around them, makes you woozy or lightheaded.

Or, maybe you have a strong reaction about not wanting to be around it or to touch it.

Maybe you’re just curious about all this crystal talk mumbo jumbo, and want to get in on the magic.

Whatever the case, everyone has an opinion about crystals. They always makes you feel SOMETHING.

If you checked out my previous article in what’s looking to become my Crystal Work mini-series, “Are You Cleansing Your Crystals The Right Way? A Guide To Crystal Clearing“, you learned how to clear your crystals.

I’m so glad I wrote that piece, because some of my patients read it and remarked, “I didn’t know you were supposed to clean them! Glad I happened to read your blog on how to do just that.”

In this part of the series, we’re taking the next step after cleansing them – how to use them.

Before we get into actually using them, here are some techniques to get the most out of your crystal alliance!

Awakening Your Crystals

There are many native cultures that find activating the crystal is necessary before use. Although it is a wonderful practice, it is not necessary to getting the most out of your crystals.

Here are some ways that crystals get awakened:

• Strike the crystal upon the sand of the ocean beaches and/or sand dunes
• Activate a meditative gong near the crystal, which activates the vibration of the crystal
• Sound Tibetan tingsha bells (or other hand held bells) close to the crystal

Charging Your Crystals

Sometimes the crystals get fatigued after frequent, intense use. I find this can sometimes be the case with some of the more hardworking protective stones, like Black Tourmaline, and the love stones, such as the premier one, Rose Quartz (you can often tell because it starts looking a little dull). In which case, it’s good to cleanse them to remove the extra energy they’ve collected.

At other times, they just need to get a bit charged. Just like your mobile device needs its battery charged every so often, so, too does your diligent crystal need some rejuvenation!

Here are some crystal charging techniques:

• One of the easiest ways to charge a crystal is by putting the crystal on a large cluster, especially clear quartz, amethyst, or a selenite bed.
• Place the crystal in sunlight and/or moonlight. Make sure you check out my previous post to avoid putting out certain stones in sunlight, since not all stones love it!
• Place the crystal in the middle of a crystal circle, where the gems that are forming the circle have any terminations pointing inwards.
• Placing it in a copper pyramid charger.
• If you’re a Reiki practitioner, you can charge it with Reiki.

You may notice that some of the above techniques can also double as cleansing techniques!

Pre-Programming/Dedicating Your Crystals

Before you use you use your crystals, it’s best to program them. Before you program them, you can choose to optionally pre-program, or dedicate, your crystals.

This can be done simply by holding the crystal in your hand, picture light surrounding it, and state your intention (in your head or verbally) that the crystal will be used for the highest good of all, in love and light.

Programming Your Crystals

Once you’ve completed any pre-programming, now it’s time to program them.

What programming does is instruct the energies of your crystal towards the purpose of how you’d like to use it: for manifestation, protection, love, prosperity, peace, seeking angelic contact, or anything else in between.

Of course, you want to make sure that you first choose a stone that resonates with the intention that you have for it.

There are a couple of ways to program your crystals, but I tend to go the most direct and simplest route (I suppose it’s the New Yorker within me!)

1. The simplest way starts with first holding it in your hand, getting still, and letting yourself attune to the crystal’s energy.
2. Next, set the intention towards its purpose, firmly and clearly. Make sure you are focused when setting the intention, because as you know if you’re a regular blog reader, your words are powerful (even the ones you think no one can hear). Make sure you choose your words wisely! If you feel the need to (here’s where learning to trust your intuition is key), repeat the intention several times to get it anchored into the crystal.
3. When you intuitively feel that the programming has been completed, you can put the crystal down. You can easily detach yourself from it’s energies by taking your attention away from it.

Crystal Work: How To Use Your Crystals

Now, here’s the part you’ve been waiting for! Let’s use these crystal allies to make some magic happen.

1. Wear your crystal. When working with crystals, it’s best to have them on your person, depending on what you’re manifesting. The reason for this is because the energy of the crystal will always be working with your energy field towards your desired outcome. This is particularly important for protective stones – if you’re deflecting negative energy, the stone needs to be on your body for it to deflect optimally. When wearing crystals, some people will wear it as a piece of jewelry: a pendant, earrings, bracelet, ring, in a belt buckle. If it’s a pendant or bracelet, it’s best to have it so the stone itself is actually in contact with your skin (rather than the metal containing the crystal). I recommend women place their tumbled rose quartz in their bra, so it’s close to their Heart Chakra. One of my patients is hardcore about her carnelian, and will literally tape it to her Sacral Chakra area, 1-2″ below the navel. You can also place it in your pocket. Some ladies will carry it in their purse, if it’s always with them. That works too, but the impact is stronger if it’s on your body.
2. Take a crystal chakra bath. Want to bathe in the light energy of crystals? You can do that by placing a stone on each chakra, each one specific to that energy center. Choose the corresponding chakra stones – one for the Crown, Third Eye, Throat, Heart, Solar Plexus, Sacral Plexus, and Root (check the links in these chakra names to get a better idea of what stones to use for each one). Then, lie down in a comfortable spot at a time when you won’t be interrupted, and place them on each chakra. Allow yourself to feel the energy of the stones intermingling with your own energy. And as you lay, feel free to ask your Spirit Guides to direct the crystal energy in optimal ways that will benefit your highest good. Bathe in this light for 20-30 minutes, or until you feel you’ve received a good dose of healing! As you can tell, when working with crystals, you are often invited to trust your intuition. It’s a good way to exercise that Third Eye! I often do some form of this in my treatments, as well. If you’re feeling particularly stressed, place eight Amethyst points around your body, points facing inward.
3. Meditate with them. Choosing the particular stone towards your particular desired outcome, you can either hold them with both hands, each hand cupping the stone from the top and bottom, hold it in your dominant hand, or hold it your left hand. I often recommend holding it in your left hand, for the sole reason that your left side is your receiving side, and you want to receive the joy, protection, abundance, health, etc. that the crystal is helping you attain. If you want to center your meditation on the crystal’s benefits, hold it in your left hand, allow yourself to get in touch with its energy, imagine a stream of the crystal energy flowing throughout your body, and pooling into the chakra that you’re trying to strengthen. Check out more details on this at my blog post, “How To Meditate With Crystals“!
4. Heal the body. If you chose the crystal for a particular health issue, you can place it on the chakra, or area, pertaining to the problem. For instance, for eye issues, you might want to place a small tumbled stone of Chrysoprase or Turquoise on each closed eyelid.
5. Treat your plant. I’ve used Amethyst and Clear Quartz to treat my plants, and they love it! Of course, you need to program your crystals  to act for the highest good of all beings within the energy field and to strengthen and balance each individual plant. Then place it on the soil of your plant. This is especially helpful for plants that are having difficulty thriving.
6. Clear your energy with it. One way to do this is by using a long Selenite wand like a comb. Take your long Selenite wand, and hold it like a brush or comb. Starting at the top of your head, slowly and deliberately move the wand down your body (this is easiest done while standing, but you could do this sitting, as well). Then, continue combing the rest of your aura, again starting at the top of your head, and ending at your feet, until your whole body’s been treated.
7. Scrying. Many seers, shamans, and intuitive folks use crystals for scrying. Scrying is when you look into a surface of a crystal that corresponds with, and is programmed for, looking into other dimensions, receive guidance from your Spirit Guides, get clairvoyant feedback, access Akashic Records (the ultimate library of the lifetimes of souls), or heal yourself and others, to name a few purposes. You can do this with a polished flat piece of Obsidian, or a Clear Quartz crystal ball or skull (hence the gimmick of the crystal ball that was popularly seen at carnivals and the like).
8. Make an elixir. Crystals will imbue the water it is infused in with its healing properties. Just make sure it is a stone that doesn’t mind being submerged for long periods of time! Check out my previous post for some suggestions on that. To make your elixir, it’s best to use smaller, tumbled stones (since rough stones can break off into the water), and let it sit for a period of time, especially out in the sunlight or moonlight. Oftentimes 24 hours is enough. Some prefer giving it a good dose of moonlight from one moon cycle to the next, such as from a New Moon (with new energy towards intentions) to the Full Moon (when the energies release and come to fruition). Some prefer taking a dose of the elixir in the form of a dropperful of 2-3 drops under the tongue, or alternately, 1-2 teaspoons per day. Always make sure you manufacture your elixir in a glass jar, no metal should be used.

These are just a few of the kinds of wonderful, magical, healing things you can do with crystals. They really are agents of change. There are many more ways to use them!

What’s your favorite way to use crystals?
And which is your favorite crystal ally?
I’d love to hear about it in the comments, below!

Gem love,

 

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