Direct Contact
Continuing with the subject of how to work with crystals, this section briefly reviews the
various ways to work with crystals via direct contact with your body. As with the last
section, some of these topics may be covered in more detailed elsewhere on this site
and/or may be expanded upon in a video class.
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Healing: This is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about
working with crystals by placing them in direct contact with the body. What many
people do not know, however, is there are a number of different ways or techniques
using crystals to heal the body.
- The first method is placing crystals directly over the body’s chakras or energy
centers and simply allowing the body’s energy to entrain, or match the frequency
of the crystals. In this practice you do not need to know anything about energy
healing, such as Reiki, because the crystals are doing all the work.
This method can be quite effective, especially if done regularly. When you
take into consideration all the busy-ness and stress most people experience
during a typical day, expecting crystals to have any long-term benefit by only
engaging in this practice infrequently, (for example, once a month), is not
realistic.
Like meditation or exercise, using crystals to remove blockages, and/or activate
or re-tune/re-balance the body’s chakras needs to be done on a regular basis to
truly have a lasting effect.
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- The second method is similar to the first, in that you are placing crystals over the
chakra centers. In this technique, however, a practitioner would use some type
of energy healing, such as Reiki, to complement and/or amplify the crystals’
abilities.
I mention a practitioner here, because, while not impossible, performing energy
healing on oneself (while lying with crystals on your energy centers) can be a
tricky thing. Finding a skilled practitioner who uses this system really makes more
sense. This method can become pretty involved with some practitioners using
multiple stones on each chakra, and in some cases creating entire grids on one
or more of the energy centers.
In other cases, the practitioner may use one kind of crystal to first absorb and/or
break up negative or blocked energy and then switch to stones that re-balance
and reactivate the now-cleared chakra.
- A third and related method involves an energy healer holding a particular type
of crystal in their hand as opposed to placing crystals on their client. The crystal
would amplify the healing energy they use, such as Reiki, and could be used to clear
the client’s energy field and/or each chakras without having to touch the person
(some practitioners specifically practice non-touch healing).
Most people can employ a version of this method themselves by moving a
crystal slowly through their own energy field (approximately 3 to 6 inches from
their body). Simply start at your feet and work slowly up and over your head and
down the backside (as best you can reach) until you reach your feet again.
Any crystal can be used, although wands and pendulums are particularly
suited to aura cleansing. Technically this would be considered indirect contact
because the crystals are not in direct contact with the body; but I thought it made
more sense to discuss it here.
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Meditating: There are a few different ways to incorporate crystals into your
meditation practice. I’ll cover two of them here and follow up with a third in the
“Indirect Contact” section.
- The first method is to sit and hold a crystal while meditating. Crystals can be
very helpful to use while meditating especially if you have difficulty maintaining
focus. Because of their highly stable vibration, crystals can aid you in calming
the chatter and jumble of thoughts and pictures in your mind through the
process known as entrainment. Remember, entrainment is when a continually
fluctuating vibration adopts the stable vibration of another object. If you
choose a crystal known for its calming properties, you will experience this effect.
If you choose a crystal with different properties, for example, one that vibrates
with the angelic realm or one that can enhance shamanic journey work, that is
what you will experience during meditation.
- The second method is to meditate with a particular crystal to get to know it
better. During these types of meditations (or journey work), you may receive
impressions or visions that let you know that particular crystal’s gifts as well as if
it prefers that you work with it in a particular way. You can even ask questions
such as, “What is the best way to clean/clear you?” and “Are their other crystals
you work exceptionally well with?"
Regardless of what any book or website tells you, this is the BEST way to get to
know your crystals and learn about their properties or gifts.
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Jewelry: Guess what? You’ve probably already been practicing this method all
of your life. In fact, humans have been wearing jewelry with precious and
semi-precious stones for eons. According to an amazing jewelry exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, “Adorning oneself (with jewelry) is one
most of the most profound acts we engage in.”
Primarily, this method involves intentionally choosing crystal jewelry for a particular
purpose or outcome rather than just reaching for whatever is in your jewelry box.
(On the one hand, you’ve chosen the jewelry you own for a reason. On the other
hand, choosing a piece of jewelry with specific intention will greatly enhance its
effect.)
The nice thing about wearing jewelry is that it is more mobile than a crystal healing
session, and the vibration of the stone(s) infuses you with energy throughout the
day. In addition, you don’t need pockets in your clothing in which to carry the
stones (I think women, especially, don’t always have pockets) or try to figure out
how to carry one in your bra (seriously, I have not figured this out).
A few things to consider when choosing to purchase and wear crystal jewelry
with intention:
- You don’t need to own 100 or more pieces. A few well-chosen pieces will
work just fine.
As with any crystals you work with, aspire to own quality pieces. This does NOT
mean you must spend hundreds of dollars on each piece (oh and there are
people who will try to convince you that you must!) It does mean you should
educate yourself and shop around and find the *highest quality pieces that fit
within your budget.
If you want a particular stone for its qualities, but find that it’s terribly expensive,
consider another stone with similar qualities that is more affordable. For
example, quality lapis lazuli is getting more difficult to find and so is becoming
more expensive. However, quality sodalite (similar qualities) is more readily
available, and so is more reasonably priced.
*To read more about what I mean by “highest quality pieces”, go to the section
labeled “Selecting the Right Crystal”.
- Along the same lines, consider the metal that is holding the crystal. Precious
metals (gold, copper and silver) or stainless steel will have no negative impact
and may even enhance the effect. Base metal will not enhance the crystal, and
in some instances can hinder the vibration depending on the actual ingredients.
Tip: Purchase one of those spiral cages (in silver or gold) into which you can
place a crystal or stone. Then you can simply purchase small points, or raw or
tumbled stones to interchange inside the cage. This will allow you to build a
collection of quality loose stones and crystals at a fraction of the cost of finished
jewelry. Just be sure the stone or crystal is large enough that it won’t fall of out
of the cage.
- Take into consideration the type of jewelry and not just the crystal: Meaning, is
it a bracelet, ring, necklace, earrings, etc.? Consider the chakra it will be closest
to, because the jewelry will interact with the energy of that chakra.
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Elixirs and Essences: While these two words are often used to mean the same
thing, they are technically not the same thing. A crystal or gem essence is exactly that;
the essence of a (single) crystal or gem vibration infused or imprinted into water.
An elixir is a mixture of at least two, and sometimes more, essences.
Elixirs and essences (like crystals themselves) have a fairly long history. We know
that the Chinese used essences and elixirs of jade and cinnabar (which is very toxic
by the way) for longevity. Medieval lapidaries recommended elixirs for various
medicinal purposes (and some popes were known to partake). Ancient Vedic texts
gave detailed descriptions of the uses of gemstones in preparing elixirs to be taken
internally. I could go on, but you get the picture.
There are two commonly accepted ways of preparing an essence; the direct way
and the indirect way.
- The direct method involves placing the crystal directly into a glass (should be
glass, not plastic or ceramic, etc.) of spring or distilled water and placing in
direct sunlight for a day.
My recommendation, however, is not to use this method. Too many crystals
contain toxic or potentially toxic ingredients and others may have had chemical
coatings applied to them. In addition, (and as your mother used to tell you), you
simply don’t know where that crystal has been. In today’s world, you just don’t
know what could be on the stone.
- The indirect method is the one that I recommend. It is as equally effective as
the direct method without the risk.
The indirect method involves placing the crystal in a small, thin glass dish or
container, and then placing that dish into a glass of spring or distilled water.
The glass is then placed in the sun for a day. The crystal will still impart its
vibrational essence into the water; but again, without risk to you.
If you would like to make a large quantity, there are additional steps involving
bottling the essence in dark glass with brandy or vinegar to prevent the growth
of bacteria, as well as creating a mother essence from which you can create a
stock and then dosage bottles. Whew! I’ll either post a complete set of
directions or make a video of the process.
Once created, essences can be taken orally, in water, or under the tongue. They can also be put into bath water. And they can also be put into a spray bottle and used to refresh
a room after an illness, assist with insomnia, and so on.
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Carrying: We touched on this method briefly in the jewelry section. Carrying stones on your person can be a great alternative to wearing jewelry. Some people don’t or can’t wear jewelry for a variety of reasons including their job, allergies, and so on.
While this method probably doesn’t require a lot of explanation, let me mention a
few things.
- The stone or stones should be touching your body if possible, or be in a pocket
with thin fabric. This is why many women carry stones in their bra.
If the stones are in a pants pocket, for example, make sure you touch them or
hold them frequently to get the best effect. Sitting in a suit coat pocket with
multiple layers of fabric might not be the best idea (and that might look weird if you
were to continually touch them).
It’s best not to use stones with sharp edges or that are fragile. You could injure
yourself or break the stone in these cases. Tumbled stones and palm stones are
perfect for carrying
While I do use the plural “stones” in this section, really one or two stones are more than enough to carry at any given time. When carrying stones for a specific reason or desired outcome, it’s best to limit how many vibrations or what I call "opinions" are involved. This means you don't want 7 different stones each with a different specialty all working at the same time. When you do this, the stones tend to interfere with each other rather than harmonizing. (We’ll talk more about that in the gridding section).