Choosing and
Prepping Crystals
Crystals and gemstones are transformative tools that are found all throughout the world. Choosing and prepping the stones that align with your intentions and desires can be exciting! They can help you in your spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical personal development. Based on metaphysical principles, they can assist you in staying focused on your intentions to create and maintain positive change in your life.
The word metaphysical pertains to that which transcends the physical. It encompasses what the physical and scientific world cannot define, but we know exists from our intuition and observation. Everything is energy, and all energy has a vibration. Crystals also have energy and vibration, and each vibration is based on the stone’s color and the manner in which the stone formed in the earth.
Types of Stones
As a brief review, here is a basic listing of names and categories of stones you may come across.
Aggregate: A mixture of minerals that could be manually separated from one another.
Chalcedony: A family of stones including agate and jasper; composed of tiny or microscopic quartz.
Crystals: Minerals with smooth sides, points, and edges.
Fossil: The preserved remains, partial or whole, of a once-living organism.
Gemstone: A broad term that includes both organic materials and man-made, inorganic, gemlike materials.
Igneous rock: A rock formed from cooled lava/magma.
Inorganic: Composed of or made from minerals; not animal or vegetable in origin.
Metamorphic rock: A rock that has been changed by heat, pressure, or other natural means.
Mineral: A naturally occurring inorganic material containing chemical, physical, and optical parts.
Obsidian: Natural glass formed during the cooling of volcanic lava.
Organic: Composed of or made from leaves, roots, and other plant or animal material.
Quartz: Silicon dioxide that crystallizes and is also found in masses. It exists in many forms and colors—examples include amethyst, citrine, smoky quartz, rose quartz, and rock crystal quartz.
Rock: A mineral aggregate.
Sedimentary rock: A rock formed by the deposit of material at the earth’s surface and within bodies of water.
Beyond the category type, each and every stone has a spiritual component to help you further develop your spiritual connection. Likewise, each stone has a mental use that aids in maintaining focus and clarity, an emotional use that can help you deal with feelings and unblock underlying challenges, and physical uses that range from supporting the healing of your physical body to helping you fulfill your physical needs, like money and career.
How to Grow Your Crystal Collection
There’s a good chance that you’ve already collected some crystals and gemstones. You may have chosen them simply because you liked how they looked, which is a great reason to choose a stone. However, you’ll now want to approach the stones with your intentions and a few additional considerations in mind.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to build your collection. The most affordable stones, as you probably know, are the small tumbled stones sold by most metaphysical stores and rock shops. These are often in small glass bowls or containers designated to each particular stone. Generally, the larger the stone, the higher price tag. I recommend starting a collection of tumbled stones, which will be the easiest on your wallet.
As you are looking through the tumbled stones (and the larger stones, if you wish), think about what you want to attract or change in your life—in other words, what do you hope to accomplish by working with the crystal you will choose? Contemplate what you will think about every time you touch or look at the stone. Do you want the stone to help you with your studies and help you get better grades? Do you want to feel better about yourself? Do you want to feel better about making friends or how your friends and family treat you? Do you want to perform more efficiently at your job? You can use a stone to help you with any part of your life—with your thoughts (mental), feelings (emotional), body (physical), or your connection with the spirit realm (spiritual).
Continue looking at the various stones. Allow your higher self to be naturally attracted to one of them. Go ahead and choose the stone by color and how attractive it is to you. If you think a stone is pretty or if it piques your interest in some other way, pick it up and see if you like the way it feels in your hand. Ask yourself, “How does this stone make me feel?”
Begin your crystal work by using your intuition and feelings about the chosen stone without searching out its description. After you’ve made your purchases, use this book to look up the myriad ways your particular stones can work for you. This information will shed light on why you were attracted to the stones you chose and the many ways you can use those stones to further awaken your awareness. It will also help you understand how they can assist you or affect you on all levels—spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Based on my thirty years of observation, I recommend that you use your own intuition when choosing the stones you will add to your collection and which ones you will work with for any given situation or intention; you will innately know which stones are best for you. However, as a secondary resource, you can flip through this book and read about the various uses of the stones for specific practices, and check out my other books, Chakra Awakening or The Essential Guide to Crystals, Minerals and Stones, to help you decide which stones to work with for your personal reasons.
Often with our careful selection, we may be disheartened if a stone becomes “damaged.” However, when someone asks me what it means when a crystal breaks, I say it means that you have more crystals! Symbolically, for example, two pieces of kunzite (that were once one) can remind me that love multiplies and expands. Enjoy and use the stones that break or are chipped. They are still wonderful tools for you.
Intention & Pulsed Breath
for Clearing Your Crystals
Because crystals naturally store the energies they come into contact with, you’ll need to clear them of this energy when you first bring them home, and from time to time and after use. There are a number of ways to clear crystals. My preferred form is smudging, so we’ll take a very close look at that method, but first we will review the simplest method: intention and the use of pulsed breath.
To clear your crystals, rinse them under tap water, imagining that any negativity or anything that isn’t for your highest good is being washed away in the flow of the water. A quick rinse under tap water is enough to clear the stone, as long as you keep your intention in mind. Avoid leaving crystals in water because it just might affect the polish or finish on your stone. Gently dry each stone with a clean towel, and then hold the stone in your hands. Focus on taking a deep breath in. On the held breath, set an intention that love, light, and well-being will be infused into the stone on your exhalation. Exhale forcefully onto the stone, knowing that the stone is storing the energy of your loving intentions.
The Practice of Smudging
Smudging is the traditional spiritual practice of clearing away negative mental energies, or thoughtforms, and other negative vibrations with the smoke of burning herbs, typically dried sage. The sage used for smudging is usually either high desert sage or white wide-leaf sage and is often bound into a bundle called a smudge stick. Other dried herbs, such as cedar, are sometimes added to the bundle as well. Loose dried herbs and resins (like incense sticks) can also be used for smudging.
The origin of the word smudge can be traced back to the fifteenth century. According to various dictionaries, “to smudge” means to dirty, soil, or smear something. This is not the manner in which we use the word with regard to clearing energies. In fact, it’s quite the opposite! Rather, the alternative meaning of “smudge”—a smoky fire, especially one made to drive away mosquitoes or to safeguard fruit trees from frost—is more closely aligned with our present use. Today, in the world of metaphysics and spirituality, it is common to use smudge or smoke to drive away pests that manifest in the form of negative thoughts or bothersome energy, and to make room for positive energy. In this case, the smoke safeguards one from negativity, rather than frost.
Because of its ethereal qualities and its tendency to rise toward the heavens, smoke has been used in spiritual practices for millennia. From China, India, and Southeast Asia to Europe and the Western world, the element of smoking herbs or incense is a part of many ceremonies. Native Americans and other indigenous cultures around the world have been using smudging in ceremonies and clearings for many moons.
Although some ceremonies are steeped in tradition and can be quite elaborate, a grand ceremony isn’t necessary to reap the benefits of this practice. All that you need are dried herbs or a smudge stick, matches, and a dish (such as an abalone shell) to catch or hold the burning embers. A feather to fan the smoke in the direction you want it to go is also a useful tool.
It is not necessary to make a lot of smoke to get the job done. Burning herbs in a small space with a smoke detector will likely set off the alarm, so practice using just enough of the materials to make smoke without creating a smoldering heap that is going to set off alarms and douse the space with sprinklers. Also, take great care not to start a fire with embers or flying sparks. Be sure to safeguard yourself and your space by taking the proper precautions.
Special Note: Regardless of whether you are clearing your space or your crystals, keep this in mind: The real purpose of smudging originates from the part of you that remembers your true nature, which is calm, peaceful, and happy. Smudging isn’t simply the removal of negativity; more importantly, it is the remembrance of love, kindness, compassion, and true happiness. Remember your magnificence! Connect with the wisdom of your ultimate nature. Find inner strength, cultivate self-confidence, and serve others with your love and joy. Know that your existence is truly meaningful!
Smudging Objects
Our discussion here revolves around crystals, but do keep in mind that there will be times when you want to clear the energy of other objects, such as a piece of jewelry (with or without a gemstone), a book, a chair, or an antique. You do not know what sort of energy an item has accumulated during its journey to you, so go ahead and smudge it. Simply focus on the individual object, whether it’s as big as a piece of furniture or as small as your new stones. As you smudge, imagine the energy of the object becoming clear; the herb is doing the trick of cleansing and blessing.
When &Why to Smudge a Space
Similar to the way energy builds up in crystals, gemstones, and other objects, it also builds up in a space. The vibrations of all the feelings, actions, words, thoughts, and emotions that occur in a space remain in the air, the walls, the closets, the furniture and equipment, and even the plants—that is, until you consciously clear it out. You need to smudge or clear your space when chaos is present, arguments abound, anger presents itself, or general feelings of agitation and frustration exist. If an argument just occurred, clear your space. If a person you live with is cranky, clear your space. If you encountered an unpleasant situation, clear yourself—yes, you can be smudged too!
How to Smudge
You can use either a ready-made smudge stick, make your own smudge stick, or use loose herbs. (Smokeless alternatives are also available; see the discussion on page 21.)
If you decide to use loose herbs or resins for smudging, you will need charcoal discs specifically made for this purpose and a fireproof dish to hold the burning herbs or resin. An abalone shell is often used for this purpose, since they are sturdy and represent the element water. When a shell is used, the vibration of all four elements—earth, fire, air, and water—is present. (The dried herbs or resin represent earth, the burning embers represent fire, and the smoke represents air.) When all four elements are working together, the cleansing effects are magnified. Place one piece of charcoal in the dish or shell, and ignite one section of it. Wait until the whole piece of charcoal has ignited, then add your herbs, herbal blend, or resin.
If you are using a smudge stick, there’s no need for a charcoal disc. Just light one end of the stick and allow the edges to begin smoldering. Hold the stick over a dish, or more preferably, over an abalone shell for the full effect, to catch any wayward embers. Remember, the herbs only need to smolder. They should not be on fire after the initial lighting. Again, use caution, and practice mindfulness for fire safety. You may want to protect your hand with an oven mitt while handling the fireproof dish or abalone shell. Have a plan for how to extinguish any embers that escape.
When the herbs are smoldering and releasing smoke, you are ready to clear the intended space, object, or items. If the embers go out during the smudging, simply relight the herbs until they are once again smoldering.
Tools for Smudging
There are various items you can use for smudging, including herbs, resins, sacred wood, and even smokeless options. We will cover each of these categories here.
Herbs
The following dried herbs have a long history of use with regard to smudging. Used singularly or in combination, they are powerful tools to help clear away negativity and make room for good things to come. Many of them are available as essential oils as well. Pure essential oils of sage and sweet marjoram, for instance, are key components in Smudge in Spray, a smokeless liquid smudge blend.
Sage is the foundation for most of the smudging or clearing blends; it is the cornerstone herb for clearing out negative energy. In fact, this herb alone is effective in clearing away negative thoughtforms and vibrations. There are many types of sage, but my preferences are wide leaf white sage and high desert sage. Wide leaf white sage is the one I use most often for its powerful energy, and high desert sage with its smaller leaves and twiggy nature is my second choice.
Cedar is a purifier and calls forth good energy. This herb is often found in combination with sage in smudge sticks. It is used by some for bringing in the vibration of Christ consciousness and mindfulness—a clear spiritual connection. It is an herb for protection. A Native American elder once taught me that he doesn’t use cedar to cleanse as much as he does for praying and invoking the energy of Great Spirit. Cedar preserves all that is good and blessed.
Lavender, as part of a smudge blend, helps bring in positive energy to replace the negative energy as it is being cleared away. It offsets the negativity by immediately bringing in the positive energy in the same moment that the negative is booted out. If you don’t bring the positive in right away, the negative energy that is accustomed to being there has a tendency to pop back in! I use the lavender buds in a smudging blend of dried herbs. Lavender—whether in its fresh, dried, or essential oil form—calms the body, mind, and spirit. A relaxed being is better able to invite the blessings and love in and accept their presence.
Osha root, also known as lovage, is a Native American herb in the parsley family that is found in the high mountains of the Southwest. The root is the most potent part and is used for many ailments. I’ve heard medicine men and women refer to it as Bear Root. Medicine people may keep a piece of the root in their medicine pouch, and I’ve even noticed that some keep a piece in their mouth between their gums and cheek. In a smudge blend, osha root amplifies the effect of clearing away undesired thoughts, feelings, or negativity. You can also keep a piece on your person to ward off negative energy. It is a beneficial tool if you feel that you are being psychically attacked.
Sweetgrass is a wild long grass found in low-lying or wet areas in North America. Also known as vanilla grass or buffalo grass, it has a sweet fragrance, as its predominant name suggests. Typically it’s braided and dried. Many Native American tribes use sweetgrass for purification, smudging, and prayer. It smolders when it burns and provides a sweet scent, which is pleasing to most. Sweetgrass attracts good spirits, and its scent brings in loving energy.
Resins
Resin is a sticky and usually aromatic plant substance that burns easily. It is used for spiritual cleansing in pretty much the same manner that dried herbs are used. To smudge with resin, a few nuggets are burned over a charcoal disc in a fireproof dish. The stream of aromatic, cleansing smoke will clear any negative vibes from the air or object. The following are a few of the more common types.
Amber is tree sap resin. It is helpful for maintaining a sacred space and setting healthy boundaries. Just like the fossilized gemstone amber, this resin keeps energy suckers at bay. Burn this resin in your home to keep away people who show up uninvited, overstay their welcome, or continuously borrow your stuff instead of buying their own.
Copal is a golden or white resin from the Ceiba tree that clears out negativity and brings in positive spiritual energy. It has been documented that copal use dates back as far as the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations. I personally became familiar with copal during my visits to Mexico for sacred sites tours, as well as Native American church ceremonies. This resin is beneficial for prayers, ceremonies, blessings, and clearings.
Dragon’s blood comes from the resin of a tree native to the Canary Islands and Morocco, as well as from a rattan palm found on Indonesian islands. Just as the name infers, it is a dark-red resin that hardens much like the resin forms of frankincense, myrrh, and copal. The droplets of the dried resin are rolled into balls for the market. My first purchase of dragon’s blood was the size of a softball! I had to take a hammer to it to break it up into smaller pieces and powder for use in the smudging blend. The powdered form can be burned on charcoal and can be incorporated into candles, lotions, soaps, and stick incense. Some consider dragon’s blood the strongest protection herb you can find. It is said to have aphrodisiac qualities, but its main purpose is protection. This resin can protect you from annoying challenges that may arise when you are in large groups of people, like at a fair, trade show, airport, or convention.
Frankincense is tree sap resin from the Boswellia sacra tree. Frankincense instills spiritual energy in an area by raising the vibration of the space. This higher vibration naturally removes any lower energy, clearing away what is no longer for the highest good and replacing it with higher vibrations. This scent also brings forth the vibration of love, compassion, and kindness in alignment with Christ consciousness or Buddha consciousness. The essential oil derived from this resin is commonly used to maintain a deep meditative state. In a blend, frankincense enhances purification and strengthens the ability to focus on a single intention: love.
Myrrh is a reddish-brown resin that comes from the sap of the Commiphora myrrha tree. Myrrh is a gum that is also a fixative and strengthens the vibration of other resins or oils it is combined with. Said to call forth the Holy Spirit or Great Spirit, myrrh oil has been used for more than four thousand years and was traditionally used as an embalming agent and anointing oil/resin in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Interestingly, among a variety of uses, it was also used for seduction. Today, when myrrh is added to a smudge blend, it brings Spirit into your space.
Sacred Wood
There are two common woods used for cleansing: palo santo and sandalwood. These burn without the need for charcoal discs, but you should still burn them in a fireproof dish. A small piece is all you need.
Palo santo is a sacred wood. Translated from Spanish, palo santo means “holy wood.” It was used for centuries by the Inca as a spiritual remedy for purifying and cleansing. My first encounter with palo santo was while I was training with a Peruvian medicine man. He burned it as he opened the circle to share what he knew about spirituality and spiritual healing. The stick of wood is lit, and then the smoke that arises from it can be moved into your energy field to clear misfortune, negative thoughtforms, and “bad spirits.” Palo santo reestablishes balance and peace within the environment. It is often used in meditation practices. While it is an excellent space cleanser, I prefer to burn a palo santo stick separately from my smudge blend—probably because it is such a calming and soothing scent with such powerful energy.
Sandalwood is a fragrant wood from trees found in Nepal, India, and Hawaii that retains its scent for a long time. Mala beads (prayer beads used to keep track of mantras chanted) are often made of sandalwood. This wood and its oil are often used in spiritual rituals. The scent helps focus the mind during meditation and prayer. As part of a smudging blend, it instills peace and encourages spirituality within a space. The scent of this wood can also be an aphrodisiac.
While smudging is traditionally associated with smoke, it isn’t always feasible or safe to burn herbs or resins. A smokeless alternative to smudging is especially useful in places where burning a bundle of dried herbs would be inappropriate, such as emergency rooms, sick rooms, airplanes, office buildings, and cars.
Many of the cleansing herbs and resins mentioned above have essential oil counterparts that can be combined with water in a spray mister and spritzed around in the same manner as smoke to purify and cleanse. Pure essential oils of sage, cedar, and other cleansing oils, such as pine and lavender, are quite effective. Adding vibrational essences of sacred sites, holy water, and Florida Water, as well as flower essences and gemstone essences (see page 52), further seals in the intention of clearing away negative energies and inviting in positive ones.
A large part of the practice of clearing a space is based on intention and prayer. The herbs, resins, or oils are tools that amplify the intention. However, the aromatherapeutic use of quality essential oils is particularly effective for smudging because aromatherapy works through the olfactory nerve and the brain’s limbic system, uplifting the emotions and enhancing the experience. Our sense of smell is ten thousand times stronger than any of our other senses. The body immediately sends the message to the subconscious mind through the limbic system (which is in charge of our most basic needs), imprinting the scent into our memory banks and strengthening the feelings of well-being. So, while smudging is a spiritual practice, the use of essential oils adds positive physical effects to the experience. The scent particles activate the feel-good centers of the brain, which strengthens the intention to clear away negativity and replace it with blessings and well-being.
You can make your own liquid smudge to spray in the air as an alternative to burning. You can choose from and/or combine any of the essential oils and essences mentioned in this section. Simply allow yourself to tune in and create your own personal liquid smudge spray.
Whatever method you decide to use to cleanse your crystals, do be sure to take extra care when you bring new crystals into your home. You may even want to smudge the area where you will keep the crystals or the container that you plan to keep your stones in. When you clear away negativity or stagnant energy, you make that much more room for wonderful things to enter! When your crystals have been cleansed, it’s time to establish crystal clear intentions, which we will be discussing next. It’s your intention that creates your reality, and the crystals you work with will amplify your intentions.