Crystal healing is one of the most popular practices in the New Age community, and is steadily catching on with the mainstream population. Considering the many stressors of school, work, and daily responsibilities, it is easy to believe that you have no real control in your life. The many life goals that you may possess, like succeeding at your job, excelling in your schoolwork, or even finding love, may begin to feel so intangible that pursuing them seems utterly pointless; however, crystal healing presents an alternative to this negative mindset, as the spiritual, secular practice allows any committed person to manifest their goals and desires from spiritual concepts into tangible results.
While crystals are gaining attention as a modern solution to classic problems, their use can be traced back much farther than the twenty-first century. The first use of crystals for adornment dates back to ancient Sumeria, as the famous Standard of Ur showcases lapis lazuli, a dark blue stone. After many years, the use of crystals has spread to the art and spiritual practices of many cultures across the world. Today, crystals are commonly marketed as either decorative elements or metaphysical tools, where they possess powerful energies that can be utilized for both physical and spiritual gain. The New Age practice supports the use of crystals for both of these purposes.
Experts of crystal healing use structural chemistry to explain their use. Such practitioners explain that each variant of crystal vibrates at its own specific frequency due to its distinct chemical makeup. There are many different families of crystals, which vary in color, hardness, texture, molecular structure, and spiritual use. Examples of common crystals and their effects includes tiger’s eye for courage, amethyst for relaxation, and black tourmaline for protection. The intentions of the practitioner play an important role in selecting the particular crystal that they will use in their practice that day. By focusing on this powerful frequency through meditation and mindfulness, the user is capable of manifesting their intentions.
While this explanation may sound complicated, the process of crystal healing can be broken down into six steps: research, crystal choice, cleansing, charging, programing, and manifestation. First, determine your intention and cross reference which type of crystal possesses the appropriate vibration. For example, if you are hoping to attract love in your life, rose quartz would be a good option. For the sake of clarity, rose quartz will be used as the example for the remainder of this guide.
After picking rose quartz as your crystal variant, it is time to locate the perfect piece for your individual practice. Rock shops or gift shops at malls or museums can be great places to begin your search. When looking down into a container filled to the brim with pieces of rose quartz, you may be tempted to grab the first one on top and call it a day; however, many practitioners recommend using your inner voice to help you determine which piece to choose. It is not necessary to agonize over finding the “perfect” piece of your chosen crystal, but it is often easier to work with a crystal with which you feel a connection. Due to the importance of this connection, it is generally discouraged to purchase a crystal that you have not touched or seen in person.
After you find and purchase your piece of rose quartz, it is time to cleanse it (clean it of any stray energies that it picked up on its journey) and charge it (fill it with the energy needed to manifest your intention). There are many cleansing and charging methods available, which include burying the crystal in salt or dirt, holding it under running water, or leaving it outside in the sunlight. It is vital to research the properties of your crystal in advance, as certain methods may permanently damage your crystals if they are water-soluble or become bleached by sunlight. When in doubt, the safest way to both cleanse and charge any type of crystal is to leave it out overnight in the light of the moon.
Once you cleanse and charge your crystal, it is time to set your intention. Since rose quartz was selected to attract love, you could meditate with the crystal about love so as to “program” the crystal for its desired use. Mantras or spoken statements may also be utilized in this process to strengthen your concentration and connection with the crystal. Once the crystal has been programmed, you can keep it in your pocket, under your pillow, on a necklace, or in any other place where you will be able to focus on the energy resulting from its vibrations.
Even though many practitioners feel physical vibrations from their crystals, each person varies in their experiences with crystals. If you cannot feel such a physical vibration, it does not mean that you are failing to manifest your intention. Instead, experts recommend focusing on the spiritual vibrations from your crystal during meditation sessions to assist in the process. Over time, you may wish to cleanse, charge, and meditate with your crystal again. For ideal results, this cycle should be repeated until your intention has been fully manifested, or transformed from a spiritual idea to a tangible result.
To summarize, crystal healing can be broken down into the following steps: (1) Research, (2) Choose Crystal, (3) Cleanse, (4) Charge, (5) Program, (6) Manifest. This process may not be as fast as marketing companies and life coaches state, but experienced crystal healers would argue that the results make the effort worth the while. Crystal healing is not meant to be a stressful process, and the steps listed above function mainly as guidelines instead of rigid phases. When in doubt, let your intuition be your guide.