CHAPTER 19

Crystal Energy Crafts

As a crystal healing therapist, I regularly talk to people about which gemstones are best to hold while meditating, which crystals calm and soothe the chakras, or how to do a whole-body crystal layout. Now, I want to share some different uses for crystals with you—techniques that are practical, fun, and easy to do! You might even make some gifts for your friends from these suggestions.

Learn How to …

• ◆ Make gem water.
• ◆ Fashion power packs.
• ◆ Create dream pillows.
• ◆ Make a money tree.

Healing with Gem Water

No doubt you have heard of special places where you can drink natural spring water that comes from a sacred site like Lourdes or from the holy wells in the United Kingdom. There are many claims of healing from drinking sacred water. These healing waters are available throughout the world.

When water travels underground, it becomes electromagnetically charged by piezoelectric energy emanating from the crystalline bedrock. The water also picks up an energetic field unique to its location. When we drink this water, we are actually getting crystal-charged water!

Because our bodies are approximately two-thirds water, the electrolytes contained within each cell can be manipulated and changed by the crystal-charged water. Electrolytes are responsible for carrying nerve impulses and muscle contractions, so if they are out of balance or in poor condition, the ramifications could be quite serious.

When we drink crystal water, the crystal energy works its way into each cell and transfers light in the form of ions to the body’s systems. An electrolyte conducts electricity and works with piezoelectric energy introduced from a crystal. So, just as we can program a computer and make it faster and stronger, we can program the crystal water through intention to create healing energy structures. Imagine that!

Mixing Up a Batch of Gem Water

The traditional way to create gem water from gemstones is to place a few cleansed crystals, such as clear quartz or rose quartz, in a clear glass jar and fill it with spring water. Why spring water, you ask? Well, spring water already carries a universal life force and electromagnetic properties. When this combines with the power of the crystals, you have a regular life-sustaining elixir on your hands!

As a reminder, malachite, also known as copper carbonate, has a high copper content and reacts with acids, so it should not be used for making crystal water and should not be given to animals, especially. Also, avoid azurite, orpiment (contains arsenic), and cinnabar (contains mercury) when making gem water. Commercially prepared essences of gemstones or homeopathic doses that use dilution methods are generally safe.

To infuse your spring water with crystal power, place the crystals in a jar with a clear glass lid and set the jar in direct sunlight for 4 to 7 hours. (Be sure the jar is in a safe place and won’t be hidden by an approaching shadow.) After crystallizing the water, remove the crystals using a slotted spoon, and transfer the crystallized water to an airtight bottle. Drink the water within a few hours because the potency decreases rapidly over time.

When you sip your crystal-infused water, you will find that the plain old spring water has changed its quality. It will feel different, more full or thick in your mouth, and less watery. This is because it has started to take on the properties of the crystals and may even feel heavier.

What kind of benefits can you expect from drinking gem water? They’re similar to wearing crystals, except you will feel them at a subtle level within your body tissues and cells as the chi or prana gets reenergized. If you are sensitive to your energy body, you might also be aware that your chakras and aura is brightening.

You can use different combinations of crystals in your water for special concerns. For example, tiger eye and lapis lazuli help you to focus on school studies. For skin issues such as eczema or rashes, infuse the water using an orange- or amber-colored glass with carnelian and opal to help rejuvenate the skin.

Because the gem water has to be consumed within a rather short period of time to receive its benefits, I recommend using a smallish jar to steep it in. Another nice thing about this process is that you’re getting double benefits—making a wellness energy drink for yourself while recharging your crystals in the sun. There are a number of new products on the market that feature clear glass water bottles with a crystal or gemstones sitting in a well inside the bottle. You never need to clear or clean the crystals. The water gets charged without direct contact with the crystals. Try drinking the gem water three days in a row for amazing results.

Moon Juice

As mentioned in Chapter 8, you can charge your crystals in moonlight, so why not set out your crystals for both moon bathing and making gem water. Soak cleansed crystals in a bowl of spring water in full moonlight, and pour off the water to drink in the morning. Add a few drops of dew water if you can get it. It will have been blessed by the fairies.

Other Uses for Crystal Water

Remember that crystal water must be used within a few hours or be disposed. If you happen to have some crystal-infused water left over, or you want to find more uses for this amazing liquid, here are some ideas for putting the extra to good use:

• ◆ Pour any remaining water into your flower pots to energize your plants. Crystal water is excellent for seeds and starter plants. If you have an ailing tree or shrub, pour a circle of crystal water around its base a few times a month.
• ◆ Use natural fabric, such as cotton, or a sea sponge to soak up crystal water, and then place the damp cloth on sore muscles or on the forehead for headaches and sinus issues.
• ◆ Pour the water into a plastic spray bottle, and spritz the room and your bed linens. Add a few drops of essential oil to the water and increase the subtle effects. Geranium, mandarin orange, and peppermint oils create an uplifting and joyous environment. Try combining crystals and essential oils, such as amethyst and lavender, for peace and relaxation prior to meditation or yoga. Spray the mixture into the air and then walk into the mist to fluff up your aura with an energizing vibe.
• ◆ My favorite room-freshening blend of gem water is rose quartz, amethyst, and blue lace agate with a combination of clary sage, lavender, and orange essential oils. The room becomes warm and welcoming, imparting a brighter, lighter, and higher vibration in the therapy room.
• ◆ Use gem water in your bath water.
• ◆ Spritz yourself, too, and be sure to get a little dab in each chakra.

The Healing Power of Gem Essences

Have you ever wondered why there are so many different types of medicines to do the same thing? Well, what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for someone else. Each one of us may need a different type of medicine for healing. The same is true to some degree with crystals because each crystal is different and so is each person’s energetic field.

What if there was a method of getting a standard dose of crystal healing power? There is! A gem essence provides the same jolt of energy to everyone because it provides the same vibrational essence of the gem. It’s a homeopathically prepared solution made by using sunlight to infuse spring water with the characteristics of specific crystals. This method is used to preserve the special essence of the gem.

Our human systems accept gem essence and can fully integrate it as part of our own energy. The practice of using this subtle material healing is called energy medicine. This healing restores balance to the body’s energy field to bring about health and wellness.

A gem essence is like gem water, except it has longer-lasting healing power. You create gem essence the same way as you make gem water, but to hold the gem essence so it can be stored for a longer time, you add alcohol produced through a distillation process (usually brandy) to stabilize the energetic properties. It’s a common process for stabilizing homeopathic solutions. There’s very little alcohol in a drop of the finished essence. Here’s how to make a gem essence:

1. Place a few cleansed crystals, such as clear quartz or rose quartz, in a small- to medium-size clear glass jar, and fill it with spring water. Place a clear glass lid over the top. (You can also use a quartz crystal singing bowl to make the gem essence so there are no energetic obstacles.)
2. Set the jar in the sun and ensure it is exposed to full sunlight during the peak hours of the day when ultraviolet light is at its strongest.
3. If you can, stay by the water jar or bowl and soak up the sun for a little while, focusing on positive thoughts, praying, or meditating; this helps to bind the pattern for healing in the water. Remember Emoto’s findings about the water crystals being structured through thought from Chapter 3? Your prayers and focused intent will be magnified by the crystal and the water will take on the healing properties of the crystal and your positive thought.
4. After 7 to 9 hours of sun exposure, pour the water into a sterile pitcher without touching the water to keep the gem essence pure. You can use another crystal to prevent the crystals from falling out as you pour.
5. Using a syringe, fill a sterilized 2-ounce amber-colored bottle with a glass dropper, halfway with gem water. Fill the remainder of the bottle with brandy. Use a good brand of VSOP (Very Special Old Pale) brandy to stabilize the gem essence. Use of the amber bottle prevents contact with sunlight, which can definitely decrease its potency over time. Shake the bottle 32 times to disperse the alcohol and activate the ingredients homeopathically.
6. Label the gem essence with the name of the crystal used and the date it was made. It’s best used within six months while its potency is at its highest.

The usual gem essence dose is two to four drops, three to five times a day as needed. A course of treatment should not exceed six weeks because as the energy is integrated, sensitivity to the formula decreases. There are no known toxic effects to gem essences. However, you might notice some positive effects over the first few days of taking the formula. You can also add up to eight drops to plain bath water to soak your entire body (and chakras!) for 20 minutes in the gem essence.

Like gem water, some gem essences can be applied topically for physical healing. Add four to eight drops of gem essence to an 8-ounce bowl of water. Soak some cotton balls or pads in the solution and apply the gem essence externally for 10 minutes. Here are some suggested gem essences for topical application:

• ◆ Amethyst—To ease headaches or stress, apply to the forehead and temples.
• ◆ Carnelian—For skin complaints such as rashes, pimples, or redness, apply over the area.
• ◆ Hematite—Apply to sore muscles and painful joints and bruises.
• ◆ Rose quartz—To alleviate inflammation in the joints, place cotton soaked in essence over the joints.
• ◆ Tiger eye—Apply to the stomach area to calm a stomachache and to aid the digestive organs.
• ◆ Turquoise—To cool a fever, apply to the forehead; to reduce a sore throat, apply over the throat.

Crystal Power Packs

Small crystals have great benefits when grouped together in a bag. You can create your own power pack of crystals from gemstones or crystals that are chipped or are too small for big healing issues. Instead of restringing a broken gemstone necklace for instance, remove them from the string and reuse them in a pack. Remember that all crystals, regardless of their size, have piezoelectric characteristics.

Here are some ideas for using the power of many tiny crystals:

• ◆ Find or make a little drawstring bag—cotton, silk, or another natural fabric—and place your crystal pieces inside. Place the bag in the refrigerator and use it to cool irritated muscles, ease sinus pain, and relieve headaches.
• ◆ Place a crystal pack at the top and bottom of a bone (for example, at the wrist and elbow or at the knee and hip) for 3 to 5 minutes to help clear the meridians of stagnant chi.
• ◆ Add some herbs to a crystal pack, such as lavender for relaxation or peppermint to perk up your energy. (It is not recommended to use herbs in crystal eye packs because dust and particles from the herbs can cause eye irritation.)
• ◆ Enhance dreaming by making a dream pillow using rainbow-colored crystals. Select some brightly colored crystals, but limit the crystals to seven types; otherwise, your head will be too “buzzy” to sleep. Place the crystals in a silk bag and then tuck it under your pillow. If your body needs to relax, place it on or under your belly to absorb the energies. Some crystals that enhance dreaming are mookaite (the Australian dream crystal), labradorite, and moldavite. Check out Chapter 15 for more types of crystals used to enhance dreams.
• ◆ For a younger sleeper, make a baby dream pillow to place under a baby’s bed (it’s safest there!) and help her relax and align her subtle bodies as she goes through rapid growth. Some calming and soothing sleep crystals that babies and young children like are rose quartz, sodalite, amethyst, amber, aventurine, and moonstone.

I mentioned a crystal power pack in Chapter 12 for your “Stress Day” consisting of opal, rose quartz, moonstone, and citrine. Here are some other power pack combinations to help you through life’s highlights:

• ◆ Improving communications, attention, and focus—turquoise, lapis lazuli, tiger eye, smoky quartz, and clear quartz
• ◆ Calming fears and emotions or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)— kunzite, aquamarine, amethyst, fluorite, citrine, and a self-healed clear quartz crystal
• ◆ Attracting prosperity, wealth, and abundance—jade, aventurine, citrine, Herkimer diamond, gold, ruby, sun stone, and tiger eye
• ◆ Peace and calm—sodalite, sugilite, larimar, agates, blue lace agate, celestite, and rose quartz
• ◆ Energizing, increasing luck—garnet, green tourmaline, double-terminated clear quartz, amethyst, Herkimer diamond, citrine, pyrite, aqua aura quartz, and tiger eye

How about some special help for insomniacs, those of us who are so plugged into work and other stresses that at the end of the day nighttime relaxation is all but impossible? A different kind of sleep pack is helpful for chronic restlessness and anxiety. Try these ideas:

• ◆ Hematite—It’s physically and mentally calming and helps to deflect and transform unwanted energies into universal light. If you’re physically uncomfortable at night, tape pieces onto your body at the joints or around sore spots.
• ◆ Kunzite—It has a high-lithium content and helps a whirling, neurotic, or obsessive mind calm down and relax. Wearing the crystal at the heart chakra throughout the day provides the most help. For people who wake up earlier than expected without full rest, you can use this crystal to reduce anxiety over not getting enough sleep! Many people sleep less than five hours a night with no ill effects. In fact, I sleep less than six hours a night surrounded by many crystals. They provide me with energy and help me maintain a higher vibrational rate.
• ◆ Lepidolite—It can be used during the day to help offset the build-up of muscle tension so you are more relaxed by bedtime. If you wake up during the night, you can use it to settle an overactive mind and reduce a build-up of physical tension. Holding one loosely in each hand will help you drift back to sleep.
• ◆ Moonstone—It’s a very old remedy for calming the emotional distress that activates insomnia. It helps reduce emotional tension. Moonstone is feminine yin energy that helps to stimulate self-composure and self-confidence. I keep pieces of moonstone by my windowsill during the full moon to absorb the lunar rays. When needed, place the crystal on the solar plexus or heart chakras against bare skin and focus on the crystal to activate it before sleeping.
• ◆ Sodalite—It’s a crystal of peace that helps to calm mental chatter and confusion. Putting the crystal under your feet will calm your whole body. Placing the crystals around your head or in your pillow at night will promote mental relaxation. You can also program the crystal with an affirmation such as, “I am now fully relaxed and sleepy.”

You can also try a layout of the above crystals around your bed on the floor, taped under the bed sheets, under your pillow, in your pillowcase, taped onto your chakras, or on your night table. Maybe you can think of some new ways, too.

To cleanse a crystal sleep pack, smudging is best. When you are finished using your pack, recycle the crystals by giving them a good cleanse in salt water and letting them recharge for at least a few days in sunlight or moonlight.

Other Crystal Crafts

When you incorporate crystals into crafts, you’re getting more bang for your buck, so to speak. First, you’re creating something that’s lovely to look at or that has a specific use; second, you’re harnessing and using positive energy in a new, fun way! If you happen to be very crafty and need lots of gemstones to work with, you can buy crystals in bulk. Ask your local gem seller for assistance. They may even have crystals for craft items at a discounted price.

Money Tree

My grandmother had a money tree made from the leaves of jade. Each crystal leaf was hand carved and attached to a wire frame that had other small gemstones covering the branches, trunk, and base. It was so beautiful. When a breeze came through the room, the crystals would tinkle lightly, their sounds crisp, calling the wealth and abundance gods to come.

You can make your own, too, and place the money tree in your home using feng shui principles to place it in the wealth corner of your bagua. Each time you go by the tree, lightly brush the leaves to activate its wealth energy and wish-fulfilling power. Here are two suggestions for making your own money tree:

1. Thread small crystals that have eyeholes onto a wire frame tree. Make the wire tree from copper wire as it is easier to bend and more conductive for the crystal energy. Affix the tree to a wooden stand to carry the weight of the crystals. Smudge your crystal tree and invoke the money gods.
2. You will need a wire-framed tree, some crushed crystals, and glue that dries clear for this money tree. To make a tree branch, pour a small amount of glue (2 teaspoons) in a 1-inch oval on a silicone-lined sheet. While the glue is still wet, drop crushed gemstones into the glue. Repeat for each additional branch. Allow them to set thoroughly, overnight is best. Peel the disc off the sheet, apply a drop of glue to the underside, and place on a branch of the wire tree to simulate leafy branches. Fill your tree with either all the same color crystals or make a rainbow tree for wishes to come true.

Crystal Kits and Gifts

All kinds of science kits are available for people of any age. Crystal growing kits are especially popular, providing all the materials needed for homegrown crystals, usually from chemical reactions. They are a lot of fun.

If your youngster needs a science project (or just wants to learn more about crystals), you can easily put your own crystal science kit together. Use a plastic tray with multiple sections, and add a card with the name of each crystal, where it was found, and any other details such as its lattice structure.

You can build a collection of stones and crystals representing each of the igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock classifications we talked about in Chapter 2.

How about creating a chakra crystal kit with a crystal for each chakra? A rainbow pack of crystals for enhancing the aura or stress pouch along with a gift certificate would also make a lovely gift.

For someone who could use some healing, it’s easy to put together a healing kit as a gift in a smart-looking box. Here’s a sample “prescription” or Rx crystal healing kit:

• ◆ Hematite (muscle pain, liver cleanse)
• ◆ Malachite (internal organs, heart)
• ◆ Rose quartz (reduces inflammation)
• ◆ Carnelian (skin ailments)
• ◆ Calcite (bone)
• ◆ Green fluorite (digestion, colds)
• ◆ Amethyst (headache)

Add some instructions on how to use the gemstones, such as placing the crystal on the afflicted area for up to 10 minutes or taping the crystal on the area overnight. You can also create a kit for increasing romance and another kit for spiritual attunement perhaps including a crystal angel or an animal totem. Personalize the kits with a special selection just for the recipient—one for a coworker for his work stress, one for your sister to help with her pregnancy, and so on.

Crystals help stimulate creativity, so I’m sure once you get going, you will think up some more ideas on how to use crystals!

CARVED IN STONE

Crystals are all around us. Their crystalline structure binds the earth together and us along with it. Spiritual growth, healing the inside and out, and consciousness raising are all helped when we interact with crystalline structures. Crystals are truly a gift from the earth. There are few things on this planet that haven’t come from this planet, except for moldavite and a few other meteorites to give us a needed boost of energy and healing.