Crystal Initiations: Using Crystals in These Changing Times
“A gift to mortals from protecting love…
A sure remedy against each earthly woe…
Take in thy pious hand this crystal bright…
For in the stone implanted Mother Earth
Eternal force, unfading at its birth.”The Lithica (Orpheus on Gems)
Crystals can be a wonderful source of comfort and strength during times of change, but where they really come into their own is in helping to bring about a vibrational shift of consciousness for the earth and everyone on it, literally taking us into a new dimension—or rather opening all possible dimensions. Indeed, there are many crystals available now, whose stated aim is to usher in a ‘new age’ of elevated awareness and integrated perception of being both human and divine at the same time. But the crystals also point out that we cannot achieve this unity until we have done our own personal healing and growth work, with which they also assist.
How do I know this? The crystals tell me so!
If you find the idea of crystals talking to me a little weird, it’s time for our first crystal initiation. Crystals are sentient, intelligent beings, who already share unity consciousness. That is, they communicate with each other—and with us if we are ready to listen. Treat your crystal friends well and they will always be there for you.
Crystal initiation 1: Attuning to your crystal
There are a few essential steps that precede actually attuning to your crystal. Please don’t miss them out and rush on to what you might feel is the interesting bit. These steps are vital if you are to fully harness the power of your crystals.
First cleanse your crystal.
This is a fundamental rule of using crystals. No matter whether you’re working with a favourite crystal you’ve had for a long time or one you’ve just brought home from a shop, it will need cleansing as crystals rapidly absorb energies. If your crystal is tumbled or robust, simply hold it under running water for a few minutes or use a proprietary crystal cleanser (Clear2Light from Petaltone is excellent). If the crystal is delicate then place it in brown rice overnight. Pop it in the sun to recharge its batteries (or use Crystal Charge, also from Petaltone).
Ask your crystal to work with you.
I know that crystals are very wise beings, but if you don’t ask one to work with you, how will it know what you want it to do? Having said that, I try not to be too specific as I feel it limits the crystal if I only ask from my earth-perspective, limited vision. I always ask for the crystal to work for my highest good and that of other people, and to do what is appropriate for my spiritual growth. There are times when I may feel stuck in a situation I’d much rather get out of, but if there’s something I need to learn from it, or a gift I need to gain, scrambling out too quickly may lose me that opportunity. Therefore, I would rather the crystal support me as I go through the necessary challenge.
Know where your chakras are located.
Chakras are energy connection points going up your spine, and well-functioning chakras are essential for crystal working, especially at the higher vibrational level. We’ll be doing a chakra cleanse and coming on to the new higher chakras a little later.
Recognize that not every crystal is right for you.
If a crystal feels uncomfortable or unappealing it may not be appropriate for you at this time or it might stir up issues that will need addressing later. Not every crystal suits everyone, and it may be that a crystal that causes you discomfort when attuning simply isn’t the crystal for you. That’s why learning to attune to a crystal quickly helps you to select exactly the right crystal for you, rather than picking one that someone else suggests. If the crystal highlights baggage or mental constructs that need shifting, my Crystal Bibles (vols 1 and 2), 101 Power Crystals, Crystal Prescriptions or The Crystal Experience will help you to research these. There isn’t space to go into the reasons here, but you will find a way of working with issues a little further on in this article.
Attuning to your crystal
Sit quietly holding your crystal in your hands. Breathe gently and easily and focus your attention on the crystal. Ask that your crystal will work with you in love and truth for your highest good. Half close your eyes and simply gaze at your crystal. Ask your crystal to communicate with you in the most appropriate way for you.
Continue to breathe gently and be receptive to the answer.
After a few minutes notice how you feel. Do you feel calm and relaxed, or twitchy and jittery? Is an emotion rising? Does a particular part of your body tingle or ache? Is one of your chakras lighting up? You may want to move your crystal around your body to check out sensations and intuitions. If it feels good to keep it in a particular place, then do so. Don’t force anything, simply allow. Let the crystal be your guide. Ask yourself if your crystal is actually talking to you—many do this by dropping thoughts into your mind, so keep it open and clear and trust the process. Or has your crystal found another way to communicate, through sensation, intuition and so on.
Crystals are very creative beings.
Ten to fifteen minutes is long enough for a session so after this time thank the crystal for its work, put it to one side, and consciously disconnect your attention from it unless your intuition tells you to keep it in your pocket or somewhere close by.
And finally:
Record your experience
Write down all that you remember from a session in a notebook you keep especially for the purpose. Record the date and time, your mood before you started, the type of crystal, what you experienced, and how you feel afterwards. This helps you to keep track of the effect that different crystals have on you, but it also charts whether you are more sensitive to crystal energies at particular times. Some people find that the moon affects their sensitivity, for instance. If the crystal did not resonate with you, check out its properties and associations so you can identify any underlying issues that may need to be dealt with.
Use the process of attunement to select the crystals for the remaining initiations, even when I have suggested crystals for you to use. Then you will know you are working with exactly the right crystal frequency because you will have chosen one that resonates with your own intuitive knowing.
Crystal initiation 2: The basic chakra crystal cleanse
Having all your chakras open and functioning at an optimum level enhances your general wellbeing and helps you to negotiate your way through the changes in your life. But it is an absolutely essential step if you are to work with higher vibration crystals and chakras. This chakra cleanse can be done at any time, and it is an excellent way to finish your day.
You will need a crystal wand or one with a point: a clear Quartz, Smoky Quartz, Lemurian Seed, or Brandenberg are ideal, depending on how attuned you are to high vibration crystals —the first two have a more earthy vibration, and the latter two have very high vibrations.
Spiraling out from a chakra opens and cleanses it. Spiraling back in re-energizes and seals it. Let your hand tell you the direction in which to move the crystal. Despite what you may read in books, individual chakras have their own direction of spin and reversing yours may not be appropriate. If the spiraling out in the cleansing process feels particularly ‘sticky’ or bumpy (as though you are hitting up against something) stay on the place until the spiral is smooth, then cleanse the crystal under running water before reversing it to spiral inwards. Some people like to change hands as they reverse the crystal for the inward spiral, so do whatever feels right for you. Chakras go right through your body, and they can be worked on from the front or the back, but if you are working alone you will find it easier to work on the front of your body. If a friend is helping you it may be appropriate to do both sides of your body or only one.
Basic chakra cleanse
- Sit or stand, whichever makes it easier to reach your feet.
- With the point away from you, spiral the crystal around and between your feet then take it out and away from you. If the spiraling is bumpy, cleanse the crystal.
- With the point towards you, spiral the crystal back in to re-energize the earth star chakra. Unless you are in an area of negative environmental energy or constant earth energy fluctuations, leaving your earth star chakra open helps you to be comfortable in this incarnation and well grounded, which stabilizes your alignment to earth and vibrational change.
- Take the crystal to your base chakra, just on your pubic bone or the base of your spine. Spiral it around and away with the point out. Cleanse if appropriate and then spiral in again with the point towards you to re-energize and seal your chakra. (If you are going on to do other crystal work you can ask that the chakra will stay open.)
- Take the crystal to your sacral chakra, about a hand’s breadth below your navel. Spiral it around and away with the point out. Cleanse if appropriate then spiral in again with the point towards you.
- Cleanse your solar plexus chakra, just above your navel
- Cleanse your heart chakra, over your physical heart just above the base of the breast bone.
- Cleanse round under your left arm and about a hand’s breadth down (the spleen chakra). This is where energetic hooks from other people can drain your energy. If this point feels painful, tape a Green Aventurine over it to keep it protected.
- Cleanse your throat chakra, over your Adam’s apple.
- Cleanse your third eye chakra, just above and between your eyebrows.
- Cleanse your crown chakra, on the top of your head.
- Cleanse your crystal thoroughly.
Additional points
You can also cleanse the past life chakras which lie just behind your ears and along the boney ridge of your skull in the same way. This can clear past life residue and unfinished business that is interfering in your life now, especially if you use a Brandenberg or a past life crystal, such as Preseli Bluestone, Dumortierite, or Variscite. And the manifestation chakras in the palms of your hands.
Crystal initiation 3: Emotional cleansing
Carrying emotional baggage can make it very difficult or even impossible to adjust to vibrational or life changes, but crystals are a gentle way to dissolve baggage such as unresolved grief, heartbreak, jealousy, anger, and so on—even when these carry over from a previous life. Choose a crystal which feels right to you and cleanse it well. Ask that it will work with you to clear any issues whether you consciously recognize them or not. Place a Smoky Quartz at your feet to absorb what you release.
Place the crystal over your solar plexus and ask that it will dissolve your emotional baggage and that the Smoky Quartz will absorb the remnants. Consciously push the energy you release down your body and out of your feet. Lie quietly until you feel lighter. If you become aware of tension in any part of your body where you are holding old emotions, place the crystal over the site and allow it to dissolve the tension. You may also like to place Rose Quartz, Danburite, Selenite, or another heart crystal of unconditional love over your heart, as this will pour love into all the places where you have released your baggage, gently healing them.
Then step into the karma of grace, evolution, and forgiveness, letting go of the past and being ready to move into whatever the present holds.
Thank the crystals for their work and cleanse them when it is complete.
Crystal initiation 4: Clearing mental constructs
Outdated concepts and mental imperatives also block a shift in consciousness. Some of these concepts may well be ones you think are helping your spiritual evolution—beliefs about how or why to evolve that have become fixed in your mind. Other concepts, vows, or contracts may have been instilled in childhood, or even in previous lives. Crystals help you to gently release these and simply allow the process to unfold in the right way and in divine timing.
Place an appropriate crystal over your third eye (Fluorite is a useful one and a Brandenberg will always assist). Ask that the crystal will dissolve any thoughts, vows, beliefs, imperatives, and so on that no longer serve you. Remind yourself that you don’t need to know what these are, as you are simply willing to release them right now.
Ask that the crystal will dissolve any soul contracts that are no longer relevant to your spiritual growth and soul intention for the present lifetime. Let them go with love and forgiveness if required. Again, you don’t need to know what they are, you simply need to be willing to relinquish them right now.
Then step into the karma of grace, evolution, and forgiveness, letting go of the past and being ready to move into whatever the present holds.
When the process is complete, remove the crystals and thank them for their work.
Crystal initiation 5: High vibration chakra activation
Many ‘new’ high vibration chakras are coming into line as the energies shift. These chakras help you to assimilate the changing frequencies, and to explore other dimensions of our changing world, way beyond what is known. This activation is best done one chakra at a time for about a week until you are sure that a chakra is functioning well before you move onto the next one. In this way you will retain control over the process and won’t go shooting off into dimensions you are ill-prepared to explore. Attune to your crystals to choose which one is appropriate—crystals from the seventh initiation can be used, or choose some from my other books that include detailed information on these chakras and their associated crystals. The activation should be carried out when all the basic chakras are cleansed and active, following the order below.
Higher chakra activation
- The higher heart chakra is over the thymus gland in the middle of your upper chest between the heart and the throat chakra. Place a higher heart chakra crystal such as Danburite or Tugtupeite over this chakra and leave it in place for five to ten minutes. This chakra can be left open.
- The heart seed chakra is at the base of your breastbone, just below the heart itself. Place a higher heart chakra crystal over the heart seed and feel the influx of universal love that floods into the chakra and through your whole being. This chakra can be left open.
- The soma chakra is where your subtle bodies, including the lightbody, attach themselves. It is at the center of the hairline. Placing a Preseli Bluestone or other cosmic anchor crystal such as Phenacite activates this chakra. Open the chakra when you want to go spiritual journeying and close it when you want to stay in your physical body.
- The soul star chakra is about a hand’s breadth above your crown. Placing a high vibration crystal here such as AnandaliteTM, Rainbow Mayanite or Azeztulite connects you to your soul and highest self. Invoke your higher self to guard it well. Close the chakra when not using the portal for journeying or guidance.
- The stellar gateway is as high as you can reach above your head. Placing a high vibration crystal here opens a cosmic portal to other worlds. Before opening it, invoke your guardian angel or other protective being to guard it well while you journey or seek guidance in other realms. Close the portal and the chakra when you have completed your journey.
- The alta major chakra is a complex structure within your skull that plays an integral part in expanding your awareness and your ability to reach multi-dimensional consciousness. It also accesses the ancestral past to transmute patterns carried down the ancestral line that may be blocking spiritual evolution. Aurichalcite, Afghanite, Blue Holly Agate or Andara Glass activate this chakra.
Closing chakras
Removing the crystal and placing your hand over the site will close a chakra down, as will picturing chakra shutters closing over it or placing a piece of Flint over the chakra.
Crystal initiation 6: Crystal first aid
This isn’t so much an initiation as the start of a new way of responding to changes and challenges. If you get into the habit of carrying a little pouch of first aid crystals with you at all times you’ll have the tools to keep yourself calm, protected, and centered as you ride out the bumpier bits of change no matter at what level they may occur. Remember to have them cleansed and ready to work (see Initiation 1). Then all you need to do is hold or wear one—or place it over the site if the challenge is physical or emotional rather than spiritual. This is my selection but please feel free to make your own:
- Black Tourmaline: turns back ill-wishing, psychic attack, and negative thoughts. Three gridded in a triangle or placed between your feet cleanses your environment, ensuring you are always in a safe space. The newer crystals Tantalite or Nunderite work equally well especially if you have raised your vibrations to a higher level.
- Rose Quartz: offers unlimited unconditional love, forgiveness, and healing.
- Amphibole: calls in angels and higher guidance, but also works physically to dissolve pain or dis-ease.
- Rhodonite: excellent for overcoming shock, loss, or trauma.
- Green Aventurine: stops psychic vampires pulling on your energy (place under your left armpit). Excellent protection for people who are sensitive to electromagnetic frequencies.
- Quantum Quatro/Que Sera: combination stones that are master healers for any situation or dis-ease.
- Shungite, another master healer, also provides excellent protection against geomagnetic pollutants and is anti-viral and anti-bacterial.
- Selenite: frozen divine light that provides instant cosmic connection. Excellent for wrapping yourself in light, integrating high vibrations, or to repair your aura. Creates instant sacred space.
- Brandenberg: the one crystal I wouldn’t be without. Holds the perfect blueprint of what is to be and helps to realign what has been. Instant connection to the highest of guidance providing healing at Source. Realigns the body and neurotransmitters to accept high vibrational frequencies and cosmic awakening.
Crystal initiation 7: The cosmic runway
High vibration crystals will raise your vibrations hugely, enabling effortless multi- and inter-dimensional journeying especially when combined in grids. But common sense needs to prevail and you need to be anchored here so that you can fully explore there at the same time! In other words, you need to be comfortable in your body, having dealt with all your emotional baggage and released outdated mental constructs and those cherished dreams of what might be, so that you are in the now, wherever that might be. So if you have skipped the earlier crystal initiations please go back and work through them now. This grid takes you into extremely high dimensions and permanently changes your energetic frequency so that you resonate in sync with the highest potential of the changing times. Alternative crystals are given so you can find the ones best attuned to your own unique vibrations. If you are fairly new to crystals, working the opaque forms of high vibration stones will take you into raised vibrations more gently. It is wise to build this grid slowly, allowing yourself to attune to and assimilate the energy of each of the different stones in turn before working with the whole grid.
Once again there are some sensible steps to take before undertaking the initiation:
Grow your shamanic anchor
A shamanic anchor holds you gently in incarnation as it hooks into the ball of iron that forms the centre of the earth. To grow your shamanic anchor picture two roots coming out of the base of your spine and down your legs. They pass through the soles of your feet and unite at the earth star chakra a foot or so below where they twine together into a strong cord. This flexible cord grows down through the crust of the earth, passing the abode of the stone people and into the molten magma until it reaches the iron ball at the core. Hook your shamanic anchor onto that ball. It will always bring you back safely to your body. Useful crystals for creating this anchor are Stibnite or Smoky Quartz, especially an Elestial Smoky Quartz if you are going to be journeying through multi-dimensions. Place one between and slightly below your feet before meditation or journeying.
Grow your cosmic anchor
A cosmic anchor helps you to journey safely through multi-dimensions and to always know your way back. My favorite stone for this purpose is Preseli Bluestone, from which the healing stones of Stonehenge were formed. A stone with built-in guidance, it not only brings you back, but also facilitates repairing the earth’s energetic meridians so that it too can accommodate the changing vibrations. Selenite works equally well.
Place your stone on the soma chakra (which is on your hairline above the third eye, slightly above and between your eyebrows). The cosmic anchor also helps you to connect to your higher self, the part that is not fully in incarnation and which can, therefore, see much further than the part of you that is incarnated in the earth vibration.
From your soma chakra feel a silver cord growing outwards and upwards. This cord passes up through the highest outer layers of your aura, meeting your higher self. From your higher self the cosmic anchor passes up through the outer layer of the earth’s mantle and into space. It passes through the sun from where it can draw strength and direction. It passes to the constellation of Sagittarius and it hooks itself onto the tip of the archer’s arrow where the galactic centre is located. (An extremely important evolution point that was activated on the Winter Solstice in 2012). It will keep you balanced between earth and cosmos, spirit and matter, and it will always show you the way home to your body.
Laying out the cosmic runway
This initiation is best undertaken lying down in a warm comfortable place so that you can place the crystals on the ground around yourself. The layout starts with your feet so that you are well grounded and will be lying down by the time you place the crystals over your head. Place the crystals around you approximately and then adjust them when you are lying down. It can be useful to set a quiet signal for 20 minutes time to call you back.
You will need: Grounding stone such as Elestial Quartz or Hematite; ‘Fire and Ice’ crystals (Rainbow Quartz), Rainbow Mayanite, Andandalite or other awakening crystals; High vibration heart chakra stone such as Danburite or Tugtupeite; Satyamani Quartz, Selenite, Petalite, Nirvana Quartz, Satyaloka Quartz, Selenite, Phenacite, Trigonic, Brandenberg Quartz, Azeztulite, Aurora Quartz (AnandaliteTMTM) or other high vibration stones. Preseli Bluestone or other cosmic anchor stone. Aurichalcite, Afghanite, Blue Holly Agate or Andara Glass or other alta major stone.
- Place the Smoky Elestial Quartz slightly below and between your feet and consciously invoke your shamanic anchor (see above). Tell yourself that your body will remain grounded and centered while you explore other dimensions and that you will return when the ‘time’s up’ signal sounds.
- Lie back and place the two Fire and Ice or other crystals by your hips where you will be able to place your hands on them.
- Place the Danburite or other high vibration heart stone over the heart seed chakra at the tip of your breastbone.
- Place a Satyamani Quartz or other high vibration crystal on your left side, level with or slightly below your shoulders.
- Place a Satyaloka Quartz or other high vibration crystal on your right side level with or slightly below your shoulders.
- Place Nirvana Quartz or other high vibration crystal at the top of your head.
- Place your Trigonic or other high vibration crystal about a foot above your head. Feel the soulstar chakra open.
- Place your Aurora Quartz (AnandaliteTM) or Rainbow Mayanaite as high as you can reach above your head. Feel the Stellar Gateway chakra open.
- Put Aurora Quartz, Aurichalcite, Afghanite, Blue Holly Agate or Andara Glass in the hollow at the base of your skull.
- Close your eyes, relax, and place your Preseli Bluestone or other cosmic anchor stone on the soma chakra at your hairline. Feel yourself lifting out of your physical body into your lightbody.
- Allow the crystals to take you journeying through the dimensions so that your vibrations can be permanently raised and the highest guidance given.
- When it is time to return, slide down your cosmic anchor and into your body once more. Take the Preseli Bluestone off your soma chakra. Feel your lightbody settling back into your body which will realign its energies to the new frequencies.
- Lift your hand up and remove the Aurora Quartz, put it to one side, and picture the Stellar Gateway Chakra closing.
- Put the Trigonic to one side, feeling the Soul Star Chakra closing.
- Remove the alta major chakra crystal from the base of your skull and check whether this chakra should close or remain open to help you assimilate the energetic changes and insights you have received.
- Put each of the other crystals to one side in the reverse order to which you laid them out. Check that your body has realigned to the new energy and the lightbody is incorporated into your physical being. (Aurora Quartz, Angels Wing Calcite or Agnitite on your soma chakra help to assimilate and integrate the new energies).
- When you reach the Elestial Quartz, sit up slowly, put your hands on the crystal and check that your shamanic anchor is still in place. If you need further time to integrate the changes, keep your hands on the crystal and ask it to assist the assimilation. Sit quietly allowing the process to complete itself.
- Thank the crystals for their work.
- Stand up slowly, stamp your feet, and have a warm drink.
- Record your memories of the process.
Enjoy your crystals and the changing vibrations they are here to facilitate!
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