By Sally Riley
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19 Sep, 2020
How does crystal healing work and what is crystal healing? Just like a magnet, crystals attract and repel. The main function of crystal healing is that crystals carry certain energies that can positively impact our own. When you place a certain stone on, or, over your body it interacts with your individual energy field, also known as your chakras. Your energy vibrates, pulses, transforms, moves and shifts in accordance with the properties and energetic signature of the crystal. Crystals bring everything from peace and happiness to stress relief and comfort. They have also been known to relieve nausea and headaches and help with sleep. Use crystals as a tool to help you pause, tune in and realize you are connected to the earth and something much bigger than yourself. So, how do you start? Well, the first thing you do is choose a stone to work with. Choose your stone based on your desire Think about what kind of energy you would like to receive and why? Sometimes sitting with that question for a while will give you insight into, not only what’s going on with your everyday life but also how you are dealing with it. A lot of my clients look up the ‘correct’ crystal that aligns with their desire but there’s also something to be said for recognizing which crystals you naturally gravitate toward and that can shift and change based on what you are trying to work through in your life. Pay attention to the colour of the stone—colour is a powerful healing tool in its own right, it holds important clues about the stone’s energetic vibration. If you don’t like Red for example, it will have less of an effect on you just because your energy will shift in response. You can find a similar crystal in a more appealing shade that works with your energy field. Love your crystals! If you have an opportunity to be around an array of different stones and crystals, close your eyes and feel them, touch them, and tune into their vibration. It may surprise you which one you resonate with. I keep a crystal book handy and find it fascinating to look up the properties of the stone I’m attracted to. It tells me what I need to work on. Sometimes it’s something I’m only peripherally aware of. Setting your intention Setting an intention is a great way to bond with your crystal. Once you have identified a particular problem or challenge your currently facing, it’s time to get to work. Think about, what aspect of your life you want guidance with? Do you want to open your heart? Or are you trying to set boundaries and repel negative energy that is either around you or you are facing in your day to day life.? Feel into what seems out of balance and trust your intuition to come up with what is most needed for you at this time. Once you have established your intent, and have a stone, it’s time to programme it for your greater good. Programming your Crystal Programming is a masterful form of ritual. You can program your crystal to assist with specific tasks and projects. I have a big Citrine in my office for example, that sits on the left corner of my desk, the colour gives me a sense of light and easiness and its programmed to attract abundance and success at work. It holds that frequency for me and really helps me to concentrate on the task at hand, instead of my usual getting distracted and wondering off to do something else. Another amazing crystal is a crystal quartz. It helps me with remembering dreams or establishing a deeper transition into meditation. (Put the programmed crystal quartz under your pillow at night and hold it in the morning to help you remember dreams!) Cleansing your crystals The purpose of cleansing is to bring the crystal to a clear and pure state. I always Reiki my Stones and Crystals when they come into my house and then again when I’m mailing them out from my shop. This just gives a loving energy for you to work with. As you are working with purification, being of a clear mind and intention is necessary. There are other ways to clear a crystal. All depending on the season. Here are some options to think about: Water Water is a master energy and can be used in any form of ritual. Hold the crystal underwater (pure spring or a river/ocean is most ideal) but as we often aren’t fortunate enough to be around natural springs enough, water from the tap with a little sea salt works a treat! 1. Visualize the water washing over the crystal taking away any old residue and bringing it back to its natural state 2. Use sea salt and lightly brush it over the stone using the water to cleanse the salt away *Note not all crystals can withstand water. Some, like Selenite, will dissolve. Please do your homework before immersing underwater. Moon The energies of the moon are most purifying and can be used to clear and programme any crystal. Place directly under the moonlight and charge it under the full and new moon to get the most vibrant frequencies. The moon is perfect with its beautiful feminine energy. It can easily assist with spiritual and emotional healing. Sun It would be irresponsible to honour the moon and not recognize the power of the sun too. Charging your crystals in the sunlight (direct light is better than windows) will super-charge your crystal and give it an extra dose of drive and focus. The solar energy is a super charged masculine energy and is ideal for programming. Allow the sun to recharge and invigorate the stone or crystal. Snow Not everyone lives in a country that gives us a beautiful soft blanket of snow every year, but placing your cherished crystals in the snow is a quick and powerful way to clear and programme your crystals to hold long-lasting intent. Earth Burying your stones will clear any and all lingering energies from your crystal. Going back to earth is a powerful, effective means of clearing! While you may follow your intuition on how long to leave the crystal in the earth, it’s advisable that you take three, seven, or eleven days to give your stone a total reset. Smoke As you may already use smudging to clear your home, you can also use smoke to clear crystals. This is especially helpful for jewelry that is holding a stone, that would corrode underwater. Light the sage, say a mantra or prayer as you pass the smoke over and around the stone, allowing the vibration to realign into its natural state. Sound Long trusted by the ancients, drums, bells, crystal singing bowls and my absolute favourite, a shaman rattle are great sound techniques to use to clear the energy. I have a shaman rattle that I love to use. The sound transforms me into another world. Crystals There are some crystals that don’t need clearing and are fantastic at clearing other stones. Selenite, Quartz, Amethyst, Carnelian, Kyanite are among these rare treasures. A Selenite slab under your crystals acts as a perfect technique for clearing and charging your crystals and an Amethyst cluster can happily hold and bless other smaller stones. Getting into routine with your crystals and making sure that they are charged and vibrate at the level to heal is so very important to your journey. I not only carry crystals, I wear them every day and have a quartz under my pillow at night. This keeps me happy, balanced and ready for what ever life throws at me! *There are many books out there that help identify various stones and crystals, however I would recommend, The Magic of Crystals & Gems by Cerridwen Greenleaf and The Complete Crystal Handbook by Cassandra Eason. These two books are my 'go to' and they are never to far from me!