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     As mentioned in the last article “Intro to Crystals”, crystals absorb and emit both positive and negative energy. Crystals that are new-to-you need to be purified, even crystals that you have had in your possession will need to be cleansed on a regular basis to ensure optimum energy. In this article we will discuss the different methods for cleansing your crystals and charging (Programming) them.

     Crystals will absorb energy from it’s surrounding, which mean it will absorb positive and negative energy from anything and everything that comes near it or touches it. If you have bought a crystal or have found one, it will have an energy imprint of everyone and everything that has touched it. There are a couple of methods that are used to cleanse a crystal of any unwanted energy that it may posses.

Immersed in Salt Water

     This is one of the popular methods for cleansing crystals and other items. Since some of the materials that are used is common in most households (I have not seen a household that does not use salt, but I am sure there are some out there). Some Salts that most people will use is Epson Salt or your standard Ionized Salt, which is not quite as affective as using Sea Salt. Mix the Sea Salt and Water together, and let the crystals soak for a few hours or even days if you wish. Then allow them to dry in the sun.

Flowing Water

     Flowing water will rapidly cleanse the energies from the crystals. Hold the crystals under a waterfall, stream or the kitchen faucet. Then allow it to dry naturally under the sun.

Smudging

     Some incense is used for cleansing in general rituals and spells; you can also use incense to cleanse a crystal. Incense such as sage, frankincense, myrrh, lotus, cedar or sweet grass can be used to help cleanse a crystal. All you have to do is hold the crystal in the smoke. You can also use a feather to gently fan the smoke across the crystal.

Quartz Clusters

     You can also stand the crystal on a large cluster of Quartz or other energizing crystals for approximately 12 or more hours. Stones that have a natural affinity with the moon can be left in the moonlight; same with those that has a natural affinity with the sun.

Visualization

     Visualization helps with a lot of aspects in our lives, even in cleansing. Just visualize a golden or white light coming down to surrounding the crystal, cleansing and transmuting the energies. Continue doing that until the crystals energy shines out once more.

     How do I determine which method is correct for my crystal? Well all of them are the correct way, but there are some things that you might want to be aware of when you are about to cleanse your crystal or stones. Certain stones like opals and turquoise will react negatively to sudden temperature changes and could shatter, so any of the methods above that involve water is out of the question. You might want to consider smudging, Crystal Clusters or Visualization. If the stone is not fragile, then any of the methods listed above will work without harming the crystal or stone.

Charging your Crystal

     Charging crystals attunes the crystal’s energies to your own vibe and desires. Charging (also known as “programming”) your crystals will help ensure that whatever you wish from your crystal will come. Crystals can be programmed for multiple purposes such as; protection, prosperity, inner peace, love, healing yourself or to heal another (be sure to get permission from the other person before attempting to program the crystal for them), or even to improve your home and/or work environment and so fourth. Theoretically, you can do this with any crystal, but there are certain types of crystals that are suppose to work only for certain kinds of tasks other then just for anything. But attempting to charge a *Lapis Lazuli to help heal a migraine when an *Amethyst is well known to treat such an ailment, is something that I have not tried myself.

     To program your crystal, you should decide exactly word for word what purpose you wish this crystal to perform. It is important that programming is well thought out and properly focused. Imprecise wording can confuse the crystals energies, but exact wording helps direct energy precisely. Once you have precisely formulated your intentions, hold the crystal in your hands. While you have the crystal in your hands, close your eyes and sit quietly with your crystal. This will allow you to attune to your crystal’s energy. When you feel totally in harmony with the stone, state your intentions firmly and clearly. You may repeat this more then once to anchor the intention into the crystal. When you feel that the programming is complete, then you can put down the crystal. Then detach your energies from the crystal by taking your attention away from it.

     After you have programmed the crystal, you can wear it as a necklace, carry it around in your pocket or put in underneath your pillow or by your bed at night when you go to sleep. You can also set a side some time every day to sit with your crystal and ask that some of its energies be transferred to you.

     Remember to keep an open mind when learning to use the power of your crystals. A closed mind with preconceived ideas never accomplishes much, nor does it recognize the unexpected wonders that may come in its way. You need to keep an open mind in order to go through the heart of the stone and expand your magical knowledge.

*Lapis Lazuli – A strong deep blue metamorphic rock with tiny crystals of iron pyrite and off-white patches or veins of calcite. Most commonly used to heal the Throat chakra, treating fevers, epilepsy, and skin and spleen problems.

*Amethyst - Shades of intensities of purple, lilac, and mauve. Most commonly used to heal the Brow chakra (third eye), also said to help physical pain, migraines, other headaches, insomnia, surgery, sore eyes, and psychological illnesses.



Posted in www.paganpages.org in September 2006 by Chronos