HOW TO WORK WITH QUARTZ CRYSTAL
The big question: how to work with quartz crystal? Crystal is beautiful and lots of books and websites talk about what it can do and how the energies might help you. But how do you actually put these ideas you are learning into practice? This blog post describes to how to work with quartz crystal.
DETERMINE HOW YOUR CRYSTAL WANTS TO BE HELD
When determining how to work with quartz crystal, there are many things to consider starting with holding your crystal. Which hand does it want to be in? What direction does it want to be pointing? How tight or loose does it like to be held?
PICK A HAND
First, when you decide to work with your new crystal friend, determine the way it wants to be held. You do this by experimenting with different hand holds.
I always start with my receptive hand, which is the non dominant hand (left for right handed people, right for left handed). I tend to start with the receptive hand because I desire to “receive” information.
Sometimes the crystal wants to be in the other hand, placed on your heart or forehead or placed in your lap. You won’t know this unless and until you experiment.
DISCOVER THE DIRECTION
Typically, I start by placing the crystal on its “back”, facing out. This means I place the main face upright, with the base pointing to my wrist, with my pinky curled around the bottom, the termination pointing to the fingertips with my index finger cradling the top.
You may discover that not every crystal wants to be held like this. You will know because it will not feel comfortable. There may be bridges or outcroppings or sharp areas which want to be on top, rather than underneath, etc. For instance, the crystal may want to face toward you rather than away.
To find the right hold, simply turn the crystal until it feels comfortable. If you aren’t able to find a comfortable spot, try your other hand, and also experiment with the terminating end facing in different directions.
I sometimes do all of this and still return to the hand I began with. It is all in the experimentation of getting to know your crystal.
EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT PRESSURES
Besides trying different orientations, it is also helpful to try different pressures.
Some crystals like to be held tightly. Some prefer a loose grip, perhaps with a hand hovering over the top.
Continue to experiment with different orientations and pressures until you find just the right hold for you and your crystal (it’s like Goldilocks, continue until it is “just right”).
You can be sure your crystal will be guiding you as you do this.
NEXT, CONSIDER THE ENERGY OF YOUR CRYSTAL WITH THE “CHECK IN”
The next thing to consider when figuring out how to work with quartz crystal is energy. You can’t tune into the energy if you are all stirred up and cloudy inside.
Determine what is your current state so you can be more certain of any changes brought by the crystal.
You do this by beginning with what I call the “check in”.
The “check in” is basically determining your baseline BEFORE you pick up your crystal to begin learning each other.
What does a “baseline” mean? Basically, you are “checking in” with yourself to see how you feel BEFORE you pick up your crystal. Like the illustration, take a minute to let the murkiness settle so you can see what happens when you introduce the energy of the crystal.
BEGIN THE CHECK IN
When you are ready to do the check in, set the crystal with which you are going to work aside and go within. I like to start by placing my crystal on the desk in front of me.
Next, with eyes closed, I take a deep, cleansing breath, assure both feet are flat on the floor, and I place my hands loosely in my lap. I am looking for a place of quiet, gentle, inner contemplation.
See what your body feels like in its current state. Does it feel light, heavy or neutral? Do you experience seeing certain colors or do you hear certain sounds? Are you feeling discomfort or pain somewhere? Are you anxious, tired or heavy? This is your baseline.
NEXT, PICK UP YOUR CRYSTAL
Pick up your crystal, find the comfortable handhold, and then go inside and see what is different. Has anything changed?
For instance, do you feel a lightness or heaviness which you didn’t feel before? If you were anxious, do you feel more calm? If you were tired, do you feel energized? Do you experience a throbbing, vibration or tingling in hands, fingers, feet or head? If you are a visual person, do you see different colors or if you are auditory, do you hear different things?
All of these variations are your crystal communicating with you (more on this in an upcoming post).
You may notice a difference with a particular chakra or you may experience something completely different which I haven’t mentioned here.
The “check in” is a great place to begin working with your crystal. You are learning its vibration or signature, and it is learning yours.
This can be a lot to take in and you might want to work with just the “check in” for several sessions before moving on to the configurations.
THE NITTY GRITTY: VISIT THE CONFIGURATIONS
What about the configurations when determining how to work with quartz crystal?
For now, you might have a crystal which you purchased and it is listed to have certain characteristics or configurations. Configurations are descriptions such as Keys, Imprints, Record Keepers, Rainbows, etc).
Even the “plainest” crystal might have three or four configurations, some easily have as many as ten (or more!) different configurations. The size of the crystal doesn’t matter. A crystal as small as your fingernail might have as many (or more) characteristics as a crystal the size of your head.
As you work with your crystals and gain experience, you will learn how to determine configurations for yourself. In the beginning, as you learn, you might want to purchase a crystal which has already been described by someone who is more familiar with how to do this.
For example, is your crystal a Channeler, Dow or Transmitter? Does it have Bridges, Keys or Imprints? Is there Fairy Frost, Mirror Fractures or Rainbows inside?
There are more than forty-six different (common) configurations present in quartz crystal alone! I have a set of crystal mandala coloring books describing each of these different configurations to make the learning effortless and fun. You can purchase them individually or buy a set here.
WHOA! THERE IS SO MUCH TO CONSIDER!
This can seem overwhelming for a new learner. Take the configurations one at a time. Become familiar with each.
As you and your crystal get to know each other, move on to the other parts of the description (perhaps during this session, perhaps not until several sessions in). There is no rush! Remember your crystal will be here for a long time and you will have plenty of time to explore each other.
Take some time with each different characteristic. Do the check in before and after focusing on each individual characteristic or configuration and see if you notice a shift in energy or different messages coming through.
If it seems overwhelming, start with the big picture ideas such as getting to know the energy of the crystal as a whole, by using the “check in” described above.
Figuring out configurations and the different nuances is not mandatory. You can learn PLENTY about your crystal by simply doing the broad check in and seeing how your energy shifts just by holding your crystal, without even focusing on the finer details of characteristics and configurations.
IN SUMMARY
This is basically just the beginning of the enjoyment you may experience with just one crystal as you explore how to work with quartz crystal.
Imagine that every crystal you have or every new crystal you adopt, you can go through this multi-layered process of discovery!
Later we’ll discuss how to determine when and how the crystal “speaks” to you based on your particular “clair” (clairvoyant (clear seeing), clairaudient (clear hearing), clairsentient (clear feeling), or claircognizant (clear knowing) in the next blog post).
We will also explore further how to “unzip” your crystal to receive more information when you are ready.
Finally, you might work through each of the different metaphysical configurations present on your particular crystal and how they apply to your situation. For example, Bridges to connect here to there, Keys to unlock answers, Windows to access portals, Fairy Frost to connect to Nature and Deva, etc.
I hope this has helped to give you an idea of where and how to begin working with your Crystal Friend. As I always say, these are just ideas, not rules. Know that however you choose to connect to your crystal is right and perfect for you.
