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CRYSTALS 101 - BEGINNERS GUIDE and EVERYDAY USE |
 You just adopted a sparkly or two, or three, or four, and you are now wondering, "What next?". Or you have a collection of sparklies that are just sitting around waiting for you to discover the energetic world within and around you. A question that I am asked on a regular basis is, "How do I use crystals?". One can receive training in this and learn very detailed methodologies. I recommend that for anyone who wants to do energy work for a living or in a professional manner, but not all of us are looking for that. We just want to bring the sparkly goodness into our lives and home.
Harnessing the energy of crystals is such an individual experience and I can't help but continuously state that your intuition plays a major factor in all this. If you've researched or read books on the subject you have probably noticed that there is so much condradictory information out there. The varying explanations on crystal properties alone is enough to cause confusion and stress. So, trust yourself. It really is an intuitive process. If you'd like personalized assistance, please check out my crystal coaching service. I have over 400 videos on Youtube and lots on information on my site to help you get started or re-energize your crystal experiences. Below are some things I feel are very important and a great way to put some sparkle in your everyday life! |
First Things First - Cleaning, Cleansing, Re-tuning OH MY |
The very first thing I do when I bring home a new sparkly friend is I wash it. Can you imagine how many people handled it before you received it? I shudder to think. Please keep in mind that many crystals and minerals cannot be submerged in water and can be damaged by soaps, scrubbing, and so on. From my experience, most of what I bring home can be washed in some way, albeit, gently and quickly. I even wash my Satin Spar/Selenite, and Halite (salt). Can some damage occur? Sure, but I still prefer to wash most of it. I use a very soft toothbrush and mild soap and do a quick wash and then dry immediately. Research the chemical composition and hardness of your crystal. Crystals 3 and lower on the MOHs hardness scale are pretty soft and can be brittle. Washing them could cause some breaking, so do so at your own risk. Crystals with Fe (iron) in them, could rust over time when wet, which is another thing to be cautious of. With all that being said, just be careful. Don't soak them and handle with care.
Next thing I do is re-tune and/or cleanse the crystal. There are so many ways in which folks cleanse/retune their crystals. Information is passed on from one website to a book, to another website or You Tube videos and so on. I’ve come to realize that it is truly a personal preference how one wishes to rid them themselves, their space, or even crystals, of unwanted energies. I don’t feel there is a right way or wrong way, although some ways can physically damage your beautiful crystal friends. Some common ways include: sound, sunlight (caution: some crystals will fade in sunlight), moonlight, salt (not a great idea for most crystals), burying the crystal, water, and of course sage or smudging. To delve into this further, I have an entire page dedicated to cleansing and re-tuning crystals. View the cleansing and retuning page here. I personally use sound and a form of smudging. I can't always light sage or herbs so I enjoy diffusing sage or palo santo essential oils. I feel like this method physically and energetically cleanses and re-tunes my sparklies. Others love the moon...again, it's a preference thing.
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Charging and Programming Crystals - More Terms
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Between you and me, I feel there's way too much confusion with all of these terms. I personally like to K.I.S.S. (keep it spiritually simple). However, you will hear these terms all over the internet and in books and there's "debate" on what these terms represent. Again, do the intuition thing. To me, charging a crystal is enhancing or changing the energy, or giving it a boost of energy. Sunlight can do this as well as sound. I have a video that shows how sound affects Quartz. Yes, there's some science to it. But is it also re-tuning the crystal? Yes. Sound kind of does it all. Easy peasy and it doesn't damage your sparkly friends.
The concept of programming crystals is something we hear a lot about as well. For the most part, I prefer to go with the crystal's natural energetics, but sometimes we want to clarify our intentions. Citrine, for example is great for confidence and abundance. If you want to zone in on the abundance aspect of Citrine, simply hold it and state your intentions. So much of working with crystals is intention anyway. The crystals help amplify those intentions. There is a more-in depth aspect of programming crystals. If you want to dive deeper, research Marcel Vogel and programming Quartz. It's pretty fascinating but more advanced than I want to go here.
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Developing a Relationship with Your Crystal
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To me, this is the MOST important aspect of the entire process. I feel folks spend more time concerned with cleansing, charging, re-tuning, programming, etc. than they do with establishing an energetic connection with their sparkly friends. Please do not skip this step. Like with any releationship, it can take time. Sometimes you may feel an instant connection while other times, you aren't sure. Honestly, we aren't going be BFFs with every sparkly we meet. That's ok! But don't pass by this part of the process. Here's a couple videos you may find helpful.
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HOW TO ACTUALLY WORK WITH THESE SPARKLIES
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Sleeping With Crystals |
| Place crystals under mattress, under bed, in hand, under pillow, on nightstand etc. You can put a crystal inside a pillowcase and put another pillowcase over in the opposite direction to keep crystals secure inside the pillow case. It's also a good idea to place smaller stones in organza bags so they don't go flying about while sleeping. Be sure to check bedding before doing laundry. Caution: be careful about too much crystal energy, especially while sleeping. We are very open to these energies and it could interfere with your sleep. For information regarding dreams and dreamwork, visit my dreaming page here. |
Crystals in Your Environment |
Having crystals out and about is a super easy way to incorporate their energies into our daily lives. Please note that I do not think this replaces the developing a relationship part of the process. Go back and read that part again. But having them out can shift the energy in your space. I would also like to mention that some people are greatly affected by "too much energy" so keep that in mind as well.
Place crystals on windowsills, table tops, near microwaves, tvs, and other devices that emit electromagnetism, glove compartment in car, at work, place in vases or bowls, dreamcatchers, put in picture frames, make art work and display, put in organza bags and hang on command hooks throughout your space, place in plants, and so on. The possibilities are endless. You can even create energy zones. For example, a space dedicated for manifestation, a space for clearing negative energy, a space for peace, etc. Ben kitty finds crystals all over my home and tends to hang with them for a while. Please be careful though. Pets and small children could be harmed by swallowing or touching potentially toxic crystals and minerals. I should also mention that animals may lick the salt lamps and some research says this is potentially harmful. You really need to monitor your animals and children and err on the side of caution. Always practice safe crystals! For more information about sacred spaces, visit my sacred space page here.
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Carry or Wear Crystals
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| For some sparkly goodness on the go, simply wear or carry your crystal friends with you. Wear crystal jewelry, put in hair (hair clips, head bands), attach to scarves, hats, belt buckles, bead shoe laces, sandals, key chains, carry in pockets or in bra. One word of advice: remove all crystals before laundering and if you are one to put some tumblies in your bra, remove them before undressing. It's very easy to forget you have stones in your pockets and on clothing and we don't want to damage or lose our crystal goodness. |
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Gem water, oils, vibrational sprays, smoothies
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 A gem water is water that is infused with the energy of crystals for about 2-4 hours. Utilized within 1-2 days of making. No preservative needed if utilized within 1-2 days. Unless you are 100% sure that your crystal is safe, do not place it directly in the water for consumption. When in doubt, go without! I HIGHLY recommend the indirect method in which you DO NOT place the crystal in the water. Use the gem water to brew teas, make smoothies, use in cooking, in essential oil diffuser, to water plants, in projects that require water, in bath or basin, make vibrational sprays, and so on. NOTE: Many crystals are too soft, brittle, and potentially toxic, so please fully research the topic. My favorite thing to do is make sprays. Go ahead and charge up some crystal water, add a few drops of essential oils to your liking and spray away! |
Meditation and Crystals
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| Meditation is key. It's so important to meditate with your crystals and develop a bond (relationship) with your crystal. You can place them on your body, around your body or simply hold in your receiving hand or whichever hand is comfortable. For more meditation information and videos (including guided meditations), visit my meditation page here. |
Holding Crystals and Crystal Body Layouts
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| During meditation or simply while sitting in quiet, hold a crystal in whichever hand you feel comfortable with. Just 10 minutes a day of sitting in quiet with a crystal, can feel very peaceful and cleansing. You can also place crystals on and around the body during meditation or while relaxing. Flat stones are best for placing on the body or you can use a bandaid or medical tape to secure them to the body. For more information about body layouts and samples, visit my body layout page here. |
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Crystals and the Chakras
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 Chakras are energy centers located in the body. There are major and minor chakras but the ones focus on here include Earth Star, Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye and Crown. When our chakras are blocked or out of whack, we may experience various mental, physical, psychological, emotional, or spiritual disharmony. Dis-ease sets in. When our chakras are balanced and the energy is freely flowing, we have an overall sense of well-being of the mind, physical and emotional body, and spirit.
Crystal energies can help to balance your chakras so you may feel lighter, happier, heart-centered, grounded, free, blissful, etc. Here is some introductory information about the chakras in addition to crystals recommendations. Note: Always use your intuition when selecting crystals! To dive deeper into crystals and the chakras, please visit my chakra pages here. |
Working with Points, Wands and Various Shapes
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| Points and wands are a very common tool used in crystal healing and in the metaphysical realm. I prefer natural points but sometimes that's not feasible. Remember, the energy flows in the direction of the point. Here's a couple of videos you may find helpful. Learn about crystal shapes and tips for use on the crystal shapes page. Visit the crystal shape page here. |
Crystal Grids
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| By combining the crystals into a cohesive group you can heighten the potency of the energies and pack a powerful energetic punch! Crystal grids can be used for just about anything such as: abundance, prosperity, love, healing, protection, creativity, chakra work, and so on. You do not need a huge amount of crystals to make a grid...even just a few will work. Below is a video to get you started. For more crystal grid information, visit my grid page here. To view my entire crystal grid playlist on Youtube click here. |
Positive Affirmations: Tips -n- Tricks Guide (NEW)
 Positive Affirmations: Tips -n- Tricks Guide is an 12 page page PDF ebooklet that includes many tips, tricks, ideas, methodologies and independant activities, designed to help you to write and state positive affirmations. The $3.33 fee is simply a donation to help with website costs. After your purchase, you will receive an email with your digital product for you to download.
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These are basic tips to give you some ideas.
Check out my Crystal Basics playlist on Youtube.
Click here |
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