CHAPTER 18

Transformational Tools

Do you want to ask more about the mysteries of crystals but are afraid to ask? There are many people all over the planet who work in exceptional ways with crystals, as Earth keepers, Earth healers, crystal guardians, gatekeepers, crystal healers, crystal technologists, and crystal engineers. It’s wonderful that crystal energy unifies so many who are engaged with the planet and its natural forces. Some might want to go further in these studies. For now, feel the energy of the macro-cosmos by using a crystal labyrinth for mindfulness training or experiment by setting up a crystal grid to bring sacred geometry into your life and into your living room. Experience the vibration of crystal singing bowls to harmonize and balance your body and mind.

This chapter includes some transformational tools to use on your journey. The way you use crystals will change the way you see things, feel things, and connect to your spirit. We will explore the mysteries of crystal skulls. Who doesn’t want to know more about crystal skulls and how to connect to their wisdom?

Learn How to …

Crystal Grids

Crystal grids are a great way to pull in massive amounts of potential crystal healing energy. You might use all your crystals to create your grid or select ones for a special purpose. A crystal grid provides a structure using sacred geometry to create a dimensional space. This space creates a container to focus energy for a specific healing purpose. The use of a template to lay the crystals on helps with the precise geometric alignment and to focus your intent.

What is the difference between a crystal layout and a crystal grid? A crystal layout is the placement of crystals on and around the body for a meditation or healing session. A crystal grid doesn’t use your body or anyone else’s body for that matter. In a grid, crystals are laid out in a geometric pattern to integrate and focus energy for a specific goal or purpose. Through intent, that energy is focused to heal yourself or someone else or to help something manifest.

How to Create a Crystal Grid

Following my simple method, you only need a few components to create a crystal grid. The grid will remain in place for at least a day or more. The longer the grid is left in place, the more intense its effect; however, there is a point where you need to dismantle the grid since it has done its job or needs to be cleansed and recharged. If this is your first grid, you may be quite excited to see what it will look like.

State your goal. Write down your intent on a piece of paper as clearly as possible, include any timelines to help manifest your intent. For example, “I will find my soul mate within three months.” Sure, why not, but be prepared to leave your grid out for three months to let the magic happen. You can also write a longer manifestation letter containing your hopes, wishes, and desires.

Program your focus crystal. A focus crystal is a crystal that you program with your intent and meditate with before adding it to the center of the grid. You will also work with this grid crystal daily to maintain and manifest your intent. The focus crystal can be a crystal cluster or a crystal pyramid, but an even stronger crystal to select is a single transmitter crystal of clear quartz or amethyst. Transmitter crystals are designed by nature specifically for the purpose of focusing and sending out energy and messages. You will place your intent or manifestation letter under the focus crystal. If you have a photo of a person that will benefit from the intent, place both the photo and the letter under the focus crystal.

Pick your crystals. Bring out your crystals and lots of them. You can use all your crystals in some way for your grid, or you can select only those that address your goal. Refer back to your intent: finding your soul mate, for example. For this intent, select love and relationship crystals (rose quartz and rhodochrosite), but also select crystals that enhance communications (moonstone, azurite, and sodalite) and grounding (turquoise, which doubles for communications, or smoky quartz), so the love of your life knows you are a good thing. Selecting crystals is like a narrative of how you want things to go; just match up your intent with the best crystals to support that intent.

Using a kit containing preselected crystals, instructions, and a printed grid template is an easy way to get set up quickly. Just be sure to cleanse and charge your crystals before setting up your grid.

Pick a spot. You need to select a place to lay your grid that will remain undisturbed for at least one to three days or even more. You can lay out your crystals following a prescribed template like the ones described in Henry M. Mason’s book Crystal Grids. Later in this chapter, I’ve included the Flower of Life grid that you can copy, or you can find and download a free image of a grid from the internet. If you don’t want the crystals to move about, you can tape them to the grid, but know that the crystal resonance will be confined by doing this.

Design your crystal grid. Now the fun part begins. Use your selected crystals to design your grid. To begin, place the programmed focus crystal in the middle of the layout with the written intent under the crystal. Next place crystals in a ring surrounding the focus crystal; these crystals provide the strongest intent, so they are placed closest to the focus crystal. For our soul mate example, these are the love and relationship crystals—rose quartz and rhodochrosite. If you’re using a template, lay them on the grid lines, or just evenly space them around the focus crystal. Use four to six crystals or more if they are very small. It’s okay to alternate different types of crystals.

Continuing with our soul mate example, the next ring of crystals is for communications—to get to know one another. You can use moonstone, azurite, and sodalite. Place these crystals on the energy lines following the template or place them free form, but try to align them into a geometric pattern. You can be more specific later. The universe knows what you are doing.

The third ring out from the focus crystal is for the grounding crystals. In our soul mate example, these are turquoise and smoky quartz. Align these crystals following the grid lines or follow your inner geometry teacher and go freely with the energy.

You can also place additional small quartz crystals to draw out the energies into the room and into the cosmos for creation. Remember the diagram in Chapter 11 that shows three crystal layouts to direct energy for healing? These techniques can also be used to lay out your grids; to remove excess energy, to infuse energy, or to direct the flow of energy.

Just think about what you are doing and why. There’s no right way of doing this—there are many ways. Follow your intuition and be creative with the universal energies.

See the following figure as a rough example for our love grid. The image on the left illustrates an amethyst focus crystal, six surrounding round crystal shapes representing the love stones, six darker transmitter crystals used for grounding, and some smaller thin crystals to draw the energy from the love stones outward. There’s also a tiny moonstone crystal in between each thin crystal to further align the energies to the moon goddess who governs the coming to fullness of all things and who is associated with the mysteries, psychic development, and fertility. The image on the right shows just a portion of the many energy lines that link the crystals in sacred geometry.

A crystal grid and energy lines.

Activate your grid. Now that you have created the grid, activate the energy lines using a crystal wand. A kyanite wand is best because its natural purpose is to align energy structures. Other wands that are good for this task—a quartz crystal (great), a long quartz crystal wand (better), or a selenite wand (perfect)—can be used to draw energy lines between crystals to align their crystalline structures. Start by pointing your wand at the focus crystal. Then, while moving your wand, visualize an energy line being drawn from the focus crystal to each stone. Just be sure you have one line drawn from the focal crystal to each grid crystal to activate the connections. The crystals will then link their energies to each other.

This is the sacred geometry being activated in your crystal grid. It’s quite complex, and when the energy settles in, creation starts. Sometimes manifestation can happen quite quickly.

Meditate with your grid. Now that the grid is set up, meditate with the intent set in your mind for a few minutes and then just let the intention go into the grid. You may feel a glow of energy from the grid. Stay with the glow for as long as you can to receive healing benefits, too.

Maintain your grid. If you can, make a daily routine to sit and reflect on your intent to help sustain the manifestation using the grid. You can also reactivate the energy of the focus crystal. (No, it didn’t fall asleep, but it can become dormant if you ignore it.) Gently tap a few times on the crystal’s tip with your middle finger—that’s your fire finger in some systems, ether or space in others. Tapping it will send an electrical impulse through the crystal to reenergize it.

Here’s a shortcut—use four pieces of kyanite as part of the grid to help maintain the structural integrity. You can say a dedication prayer for the grid. Add in a prayer of protection to help maintain the energy of the grid, and ask for special spirit guides or angels to stand watch and contribute their energy. If you have some carved stone angels, they can face outward to protect the grid.

You may want to swap out crystals or substitute newly charged ones to boost the energy. Remember to redraw the energy lines and smudge after.

Dismantle your grid. Stand in front of the grid and give a short verbal command to the energy structure of the grid. Say “release” and then, starting from the outside and working inward, pick up each crystal and put it aside. Remove the focus crystal and burn the piece of paper you wrote your intent on to release the intent. Cleanse all your crystals and recharge them to restore their strong yang energies for use in a new grid.

Flower of Life Grid

The Flower of Life grid is an extraordinary tool used to understand life. The symbols contain the fundamental forms of space and time. The image can be found in many places around the world, including the ancient Temple of Osiris at Abydos, Egypt, on a mosaic floor in Ephesus, Turkey, and in China. Thus, it must be important because of its presence in so many ancient places. When we tap into the ancient symbols, we can transcend our ordinary restrictions and access dimensional healing. The image encapsulates sacred geometry, light energy, and the expansion of dimensions. The teachings are quite deep and require some guidance. The image should be seen as three dimensional.

The Flower of Life.

The information about the Flower of Life really belongs to ancient mystery schools teachings about the secret of life. There are many who believe the image is a template from which all life springs. The structures for each of the Platonic solids is contained within the Flower of Life. You may recall that the Platonic solids represent each element that makes up our universe.

The Seed of Life and the Tree of Life are also embedded in the image. The Tree of Life is formed by joining the centers of the Flower of Life. It is an ancient Judaic-Kabbalah symbol representing the mystical interpretation of nature and is used for the purpose of explaining the relationship between the eternal infinity and the mortal finite universe.

There is also Metatron’s Cube embedded in the Flower of Life. This cube is named after the archangel Metatron and is thought to be formed from his soul. The center of the cube is called a star tetrahedron, a three-dimensional tetrahedron of two intersecting tetrahedrons representing spirit and matter. In Egyptian mysteries this is called the merkaba (mer-ka-ba), meaning “light” (mer), “spirit” (ka), and “body” (ba). The merkaba is the form of the divine light body used in ascension to higher realms and as a bridge between the spirit and body to move from one dimension to another. All this sacred geometry is breathtaking, isn’t it?.

These powerful symbols can be activated with further knowledge and training. As beginners, for now your crystals can be used on the Flower of Life grid for alignment and symbolism and to focus and increase the healing power. If you use the Flower of Life, you will connect with every type of grid. The important key is to see it dimensionally as a cosmic whole. You will need lots of crystals to use the Flower of Life. Look for smaller thinner crystals to fill the grid with interconnecting crystals. Once set up and activated, it can be left out or covered with a cloth for protection when not in use.

There are other formations that can be used for grids. Create your own—maybe a heart-shaped one using a heart-shaped rose quartz and other love stones. Put a picture of your sweetie in the middle with a special crystal to send some love.

Here are some crystal grid suggestions to help your manifestations:

Crystal Bagua

If you read how to use feng shui to create balance and harmony in Chapter 15, you might have figured out that the bagua is a type of grid. The meaning of each sector has already been determined over the course of many centuries. It’s probably something you won’t need to change. There is one aspect, however, that you can change, and that is to work the bagua in miniature instead of placing the crystals throughout the house. Here are two versions of a crystal bagua you can try:

  1. Print out or draw the bagua chart found in Chapter 15. Place the bagua in the center of your home and orient the bottom to align with your home’s main entrance. You will place the crystals on this bagua. Select crystals to place on each sector, determining which crystals will bring that sector into balance and harmony. Since the crystal bagua is located in the center of the home, the energy will radiate and balance each sector throughout the house. As a small note, you don’t need to place crystals in all sectors, only the ones that need rebalancing. If you aren’t too sure, use your pendulum to help you identify which sectors to work in. Hold your pendulum in each sector and ask, “Does this sector need to be realigned?” If yes, then use your pendulum to determine which crystals to put into what sectors. Keep a record of your formation by taking a photo or drawing the crystal bagua in your crystal journal.
  2. Create a dream board using light Bristol board. Draw the 8-sided bagua in the center with spokes for each sector radiating out. Cut and paste an image to enhance each sector. For instance, for your knowledge sector add an image of books or an educational certificate and paste a photo of a crystal such as a crystal geode for enhancing the knowledge sector. Or, you can use a hot glue gun to affix small lightweight crystals to the board. The universe understands what you are doing and will help align the energies to your goals. Keep the dream board visible to keep your goals foremost in your mind and to give power to your intention.

Mindfulness Healing

Maintaining awareness from moment to moment enables you to stay present for what is happening right now and prevents you from making up things. Conceptualizing about what’s happening can lead one to false conclusions or to misinterpret what is happening. In fact, when you stay in the moment, you can actually relax! Research has shown how mindfulness training reduces stress and anxiety. Studies on mindfulness have also shown other beneficial results, such as reduction of inflammation, increased antibody production, and other health benefits. Classes in mindfulness are usually around eight weeks in length and may be hosted by hospitals, community groups, yoga studios, spas, retreat centers, or private instructors. To compliment your journey in healing and wellness, there are also some additional supports for your mindfulness practice. Of course, crystals have become mainstream for their benefits in harmonizing the body-mind connection.

There’s another step both beginner and intermediate mindfulness seekers can take with their crystals for healing, and that is using them in a labyrinth walk. Labyrinths are used for walking meditations, spiritual contemplation, religious reflection, and mindfulness training. First, learn more about the labyrinth and then add in crystals for even more healing benefits and self-transformation. Ready? Here we go!

Labyrinth, a Circle of Healing

Who doesn’t need some stress relief? Labyrinths have been used in meditative walking and for ceremonial use for thousands of years. A labyrinth is a symbol of spiritual renewal and healing for the body, mind, and soul. For mindfulness, the labyrinth provides an exquisite opportunity for a journey to inner knowledge and peace. In fact, there are experts trained as labyrinth facilitators to help you with your labyrinth experience. If you are new to labyrinths, try meeting up with a group to get an overview of how to approach and work with labyrinth energy. To amplify the effect, crystals can be used as part of the labyrinth journey to heighten your awareness considerably. Your mind will be clearer; you will feel a sense of peace; and you may find a deeper sense of healing.

A-mazing!

You may be interested to know that there is a difference between a maze and a labyrinth. A maze is a puzzle, a riddle, or something to be solved; it contains complex path constructions that require choices to be made about direction. The design of these branching paths is called multicursal. The objective of a maze is to get to the center, but more importantly, to get out! Some mazes include dead ends and can have one or more entrance and exit points. Some may lead you on a wild goose chase and you might find yourself in one of many dead ends. Mazes are a wonderful way to exercise the left side of the brain and involve logic, memory, and strategic thinking.

While a maze is multicursal, a labyrinth is unicursal, meaning there is only one path and this path does not branch out. There’s only one way in and the same way out—you end up where you started. A labyrinth is used as a symbol of meditative contemplation symbolizing the journey into ourselves and back out into the world. Its history is rich among many civilizations: the Vikings used images of labyrinths carved into stone; the mythical monster, Minotaur at Knossos in Crete was trapped in a labyrinth; Romans inscribed coins with labyrinths; and the image has also shown up in Peru among other countries. In the modern era, labyrinths are used in hospital settings, correctional institutions and jails, spas, religious and spiritual retreat centers, and city parks. So why is the labyrinth so important to so many different cultures through time? Simply, the journey into the mind never really stops.

Common between both a maze and a labyrinth is a center point—a place to be reached. Isn’t that a bit like getting into our minds and finding the source of a problem or finding the key to knowledge? Maybe getting to the center is like finding the god-source within ourselves? There’s no doubt working with a labyrinth is a mystical journey and can illuminate your spirituality.

Labyrinths have been found on the floors of many cathedrals across Europe. The most famous is in the Chartres Cathedral, built in the early thirteenth century in Chartres, France. It’s large, measuring 42 feet across, and if unraveled, would be 858 feet long. (See the Chartres labyrinth figure.) Some labyrinths are much larger and can take more than 30 minutes to walk through. Where can you find a labyrinth? There are public labyrinths all over the world and directories can be found online. Veriditas and the Labyrinth Society are two major organizations that provide directories on their websites. (See Appendix B for more details.)

As we twist and turn inside the labyrinth, it’s like getting into the recesses of your mind. Once you arrive at the labyrinth’s center, you arrive at your answer and have the revelation you were seeking. A pause for quiet reflection will help the accumulated subtle energies settle. Let the insight manifest as an awareness in your mind, like an idea becoming stronger and stronger. As you gently make your way back out of the labyrinth, bring this new insight with you. It may develop further on your journey back to the entrance, a return to the outer world where you can manifest your revelation.

There are some great healing benefits from walking a labyrinth. The Labyrinth Society reports, “For a majority of walkers (66% to 82%), labyrinth walking increased levels of relaxation, clarity, peace, centeredness, openness, quiet, and reflectiveness, and reduced levels of anxiety, stress, and agitation. The experience of labyrinth walking supports recovery, renewal, integration of the whole person, and facilitating a sense of harmony.”

Chartres labyrinth.

The labyrinth provides a mental and spiritual journey following life’s twists and turns from the beginning of life to death and then rebirth. This simulation achieves a dynamic psychological journey, a blend of the real physical world with the inner world. The symbolism of the Chartres design is intricate, mystical, and illuminating. It is a spiritual teaching tool, and if you connect with a qualified teacher of the labyrinth, your journey will be quite powerful. However, if you aren’t able to go to these beautiful labyrinths, you can use your fingers or an even better tool, a crystal, to trace through one on paper.

Crystal Healing with Labyrinths

As a transformational tool, walking a labyrinth provides an opportunity for an inner connection that is helpful to initiate dream quests, trance and channeling sessions, and other modes of introspection and spiritual renewal. When you add crystals to a labyrinth walk, you’ll enhance your experience with a clearer mind and become more aware. It can be as simple as having crystals in your pocket or holding one in each hand as you walk the course. You may find a labyrinth made of crystals. What an exciting experience that would be.

Your approach before the walk is important. Use a consecration or dedication ritual before you start your journey. The intention is to receive something back—a message, a lesson, or insight about yourself or a matter that needs to be addressed. The alternating patterns going back and forth create a balancing effect, harmonizing within our bioelectric circuitry. Carry a crystal programmed with your intention in a bioenergetics circuit to help manifest the program. Which type of crystal should you carry? As this is a personal experience, the first-time through, use your personal crystal. You’re already bonded with it and you trust your crystal. The labyrinth experience will only add more to the matrix of the crystal. You’ll carry the labyrinth with you as part of the energy signature of the crystal and can tap into it during a later meditation away from the labyrinth.

As you circulate through the labyrinth, there will be an increased refinement of your subtle energy. Your crystal will be alert and will help carry out your intentions and hold the energy for you as you shift your consciousness. The crystal acts as a bridge between your consciousness and the higher levels of consciousness. The labyrinth is the transformational tool to help you shift your energy, your thinking, and your way of being. The crystal is a partner in this transformation. Both the crystal and the labyrinth are transformational tools.

Remember to bring a journal in which to write your impressions. It might seem like a lot to process. The journey is up to you. There are no wrong turns in a labyrinth.

Finger Walking

Maybe you can’t get out to a large outdoor labyrinth. Why not try a finger labyrinth to achieve peace and serenity in your own home during a work break. You can start with the Chartres image, using your finger to slowly follow the winding path as you would if you were walking it. Go smoothly and gently, watching your breathing as you do. You will find a sense of peace. You can also use carved labyrinth boards that have a groove for your finger to run in. Some labyrinth boards have both a left- and a right-side labyrinth. Run a finger from each hand through the labyrinth to balance the left and right sides of the brain.

These finger boards are often used in hospitals and clinical environments as part of wellness programs. Finger walking helps to relax the mind of stress and anxiety, and it also focuses you on what you’re doing rather than becoming caught up in other things. Go at your own pace, and stop when you want and rest.

This seems like a good time to add in your crystals. You can use a smooth crystal such as a tumbled carnelian (for energy), rose quartz (for love and compassion), moonstone (for sacred journeys), or bloodstone (for grounding). You can also use the smooth-end of a crystal wand or crystal massage tool. Program the crystal with your intent. Place the crystal at the entrance to the labyrinth and slide the crystal slowly through the labyrinth. Corners might need more awareness, but relax and you’ll make it through without much thought. You may find this a very powerful way to shift energy. You may feel unwanted energy being released. Go slowly and breathe because the crystal healing will be highly activated with the sacred geometry of the labyrinth. Use different crystals to experiment with left- and right-brain activation (analytical and creative sides, respectively). Write your experiences in your crystal journal. By the way, a finger board makes a really nice gift for any occasion. Children also love to follow the lines of a finger board.

Crystal Skulls

A crystal skull is a quartz crystal carved in the shape of a human skull. Crystal skulls have such a fearful mystery and so much misinformation surrounding them, it’s no wonder we don’t feel too comfortable with them. An amazing amount of folklore with various stories of intrigue and warnings abound, meant to scare us off a bit and rightly so. We are looking at our own impermanence—our own mortality.

Crystal skulls are amazing tools for connecting you to a higher energy that can help you achieve your needs, such as a need to be healed. That makes them powerful, indeed. When you understand how they are used for healing, you may find it reasonable to look into having one of these beauties for yourself.

Crystal Skulls for Healing

The famous Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull was found in 1924 by Anna Mitchell-Hedges when she was a child during one of her father’s archaeological excavations in Belize. Despite misadventures and many claims the skull may have been from Atlantis, scientific analysis shows it isn’t of great antiquity. Yet, it has been guarded very carefully through the years. Many consider it to be one of the 13 ancient sacred skulls that when joined will reveal messages for humanity.

I sat in meditation with the famed Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull in Anna’s home prior to her passing. During this meditation I found a rare clarity of messages coming into my head telepathically. The teaching was quite clear and amazing! Skull meditators have seen holographic images, heard bells, or felt the presence of beings. One researcher found that, in itself, the Mitchell-Hedges skull did not have any direct powers, but he did feel that the skull was an amplifier of one’s own psychic centers and that brain waves trigger a crystal resonance or wave from the skull. Does that sound similar to the science of crystal resonance mentioned in Chapter 2?

The crystal reflects that signature wave back and stimulates the psychic centers. Perhaps that’s why some crystal skulls seem to work for some people and not for others. The energy of the crystal needs to match and resonate with the person. You are its guardian, its custodian, and will look after it for a long time. Let’s have a look at how to acquire a crystal skull for yourself and use it for healing and meditation.

Selecting a Crystal Skull

Imagine selecting a friend. It’s a very personal experience. Finding a skull is similar. You can leave it up to intuition but do cover the basics. Look at the crystal first before you look at the skull’s formation. Is it sitting flat on an even surface? Is it well polished? Next, ask if it is a good skull? Does it have two eyes, a jaw, teeth, and other skull details? One of my wholesalers has a shelf full of crystal skulls at eye level and as you walk into the room, they are all looking at you! What an amazing and awesome experience! It’s like trying to pick out your own puppy from many different litters. How do you make up your mind? They all have a voice, but which one is the one for you? I like to select one that pushes me a bit to grow.

Sometimes as soon as you touch a skull, you know it’s right. You may feel a sense of joy, a special familiarity and excitement. Look no further, the choice has been made. The skull has picked you! If it takes a bit longer to find a skull, put the crystal skulls that you are attracted to out in a row, and use your pendulum to select one. It’s best to walk around to detach a bit and to ground yourself and then come back to them and let yourself be guided. Pick the skull that you feel the strongest vibrations from or attraction and keep this one as your own personal skull. You can purchase the remaining skulls if you feel you would like to pass them along to others or will use them later on for yourself.

A crystal skull is a portal. The third eye and crown chakras become activated just by holding and looking at a crystal skull. My friend, Skully, says it is an aide “to opening communications within yourself to reach other dimensional beings—to receiving their teachings to develop your intuition and understanding of self and others. To develop compassion for all things as there were others here before you and about leaving it for others after you.” Other cultures use skulls a symbols of rebirth and renewal, not death.

As a skull is such an amazing, powerful communications and transformational tool, it needs to be kept away from negative or overpowering energies. A few words of advice—avoid putting your skull behind glass, such as in a glass bookcase or in a glass jar. Avoid covering it up or tucking it away. Skulls want to be out in the open. I asked an expert if a skull would be okay in a pyramid, and sure enough, it’s okay for recharging but don’t leave it in there for long. Just one more item for you to be aware of: the eye sockets are energy portals, and as such, avoid poking them.

Skull Components

There are many different styles of skulls. There are 22 bones in the human skull that are immobile and one that is mobile, which is the mandible or jaw. Often, skulls are carved as one piece and include facial bones that form the upper and lower jaws, nose, orbits, and other facial structures. When you look at many skulls, they may appear like they are mass produced. However, consider this: each skull is carved from crystal and is hand finished. Traditionally, the eyes are carved last to open the energy of the skull. Some skulls are more detailed than others, but that doesn’t mean they are less effective. People are drawn to different styles, and each crystal skull is completely unique.

Some skulls seem contorted or stretched. These elongated skulls are called comets. I have seen skulls with hairstyles that look like Elvis’s hair wave or a feathered headdress. Some are special for interdimensional access, ascension support, and access to alien beings, star beings, extraterrestrials, Atlanteans, Lemurians, ancient Peruvians, and Ascended Masters—the works! There are even dragon skulls that serve as a bridge between nonhuman dimensions for elemental work. You might like to delve into these different skull types right away if you are attracted to them or go for a more conventional look. What matters is that you “trust what you are drawn to” say the experts at crystalskulls.com.

Cleansing and Recharging the Skull

Crystal skulls are crystal and as such, you need to follow the same guidelines for them as for all crystals (as mentioned in Chapter 8). Be mindful of the skull’s composition and cleanse it appropriately with smudge. Recharge it in sunlight or moonlight or lay the skull among other crystals, such as selenite, for recharging. If you are really in touch with your skull, it will tell you what is best for its health.

Welcoming, Activating, and Naming Your Skull

Observe all the physical aspects of the skull. It’s part of the bonding process to admire all the skull’s nooks and crannies. Hold the crystal and talk to it. Let your voice resonate in the crystal. Find out where your skull wants to reside when it’s not with you. Mine are lined up and like to be in a particular order, and some don’t like to be placed next to others. They can be bossy and even humorous, but really all they are trying to do is get into a spot where they can be in their best energy.

To turn on the energy of the skull, you can go through the crystal activation in Chapter 8, or do a crystal blessing exercise or skull dedication. To activate, use sounds such as those from a ting cha or a tuning fork. You can also bathe your skull with a homeopathic solution made from another ancient skull; or with the crystal vibration from another skull, or from an ancient skull that might be touring your area. The activation of a skull is to wake up the skull’s consciousness and to open the consciousness within yourself. The clearer the connection, the more active and energetic the skull will be. In addition, it will expand over time and with increased usage.

You don’t actually name your skull. The skull will give you its name when its ready. Once named, however, you can’t really sell it. It’s yours to keep. Remember, you are its custodian.

Maintaining and Working with Your Skull

If you must, keep your skull in a velvet bag to protect it from scratches. Talk to and touch your crystal skull. As its caretaker, you must keep it safe and should not abandon it. It will change the energy in your home. Note: A skull isn’t a pet. It likes to be appreciated. Listen to it.

Take your skull with you to sacred sites to gather up the energy. Place it on the ground or near special features such as altars. Dip it into sacred water. It’s especially important that it meets other skulls and has download and upload sessions. Have a picnic and put the skulls together in a meeting place. It’s okay to add a crystal skull to your bagua, specifically in the Ancestors sector, as a connection to the past. If you wish to use the skull as a symbol of transformation, add it to one of the other sectors.

Types of Skull Crystals

Not all crystals can be made into skulls. They not only need to be hard enough to carve without falling apart. They also need to reflect the healing energies of each type of crystal. With more sophisticated manufacturing tools and artisans, skulls have been made from crystals where a part of the crystal skull, usually the top, has another crystal as part of the same skull. The secondary crystal is left untouched in its natural form, and it can be a thing of beauty to see the natural crystalline material as part of the skull. A more brittle crystal can be left untouched and supported by the skull. An example is a stick of green-blue tourmaline laying on one side of a quartz crystal skull. These are unusual pieces and make a special addition to any collection.

Over the past few years, many different types of crystals have been made into skulls due to demand. Everything from amazonite to zebra stone has been used to make skulls, and some are very pricey because they require expert handling. In fact, noted celebrity Victoria Beckham carries a black tourmaline crystal skull wherever she goes to keep her mind positive and to protect against negative energies. I have many favorite skulls such as a labradorite skull and a lapis lazuli skull. My friend Skully says that smoky quartz skulls are particularly worth having and to look for those with veils as they are best for scrying and seeing past and future events.

Communicate with Your Crystal Skull

If you remember from Chapter 5, you entered into the crystal to get in direct communication with it. When the crystal is dense, black, or opaque, getting inside a skull you can’t see into is a bit difficult. However, you can imagine an opaque crystal skull as having a large chamber inside its cranium, and once inside, you can speak directly to and communicate with beings. You can touch the walls for information, visions, and messages.

Crystal Skull Meditation

Setting time aside to meditate with your skull can be very interesting. Sometimes the skull will not want to connect on your time and may appear later in the dream state. Be sure you have your skull fully activated and then you can proceed with a deeper meditation with your skull. The mark of successful meditation with your skull is when you receive messages, healing energy, and other communications from it. The skull may be obvious in its messages, or it may work quietly in the background in your dreams.

Sit quietly with your crystal skull in your hands, rest it in your lap, facing up toward you. Gaze gently into its eyes. Try not to blink. This is a form of scrying, discovering hidden knowledge. Just breathe gently and allow whatever sensations arise to evolve. If you get further instructions from the skull, such as to close your eyes, then try it. The skull may want you to see something and to go deeper inside. Stay in touch with the skull during your meditation session, and when finished, thank it and place it down safely. You may then want to shake out your hands to disconnect from the energy.

Crystal Singing Bowls

Another great transformational tool that’s very popular with healing studios, meditation centers, and even among musicians is the crystal singing bowl. These are made from crushed quartz crystals that are heated and formed into bowls. When tapped with a gong, the bowls emit a very long natural resonance. Its tone is dependent on the size of the bowl and the material it’s made from. It’s an electrifying feeling, a pure sound vibration that resonates right through you. As our bodies are mostly water, the crystalline sound energy aligns all our subtle energies, our chakras, as well as our organs, tissues, bones, and brain.

Scientists and technologists (the new alchemists) have added even more healing to the bowls. Additional crystals, such as ruby, and metals, such as gold and platinum and tanzanite, can be added together to create a pure vibration. One such company, Crystal Tones in California, makes Alchemy Crystal Singing Bowls. The sound from these bowls can create a deep relaxation response, accelerate healing, and initiate shifts of consciousness. A healing session with the bowls is a truly transformative experience. If you can’t find a therapy session using crystal singing bowls, check out videos on YouTube.

If you can, attend a live concert of crystal bowls or even organize such an event; it will be very beneficial to your health, your mind, and your community. (Bring your crystal skulls, they will love to come too!)

CARVED IN STONE

Are you a Seeker on a quest for knowledge and learning about the sacred mysteries? The veil between your consciousness and those of other realms is much thinner at various times of the day and night, during rituals and ceremonies, and at special times of the year. The truth always been there for you to find.