Crystals- Cleansing and Charging

Crystals have been one of my passions since I was a young child. What started as an attraction to their beauty developed into an appreciated for their great energies and properties. When I say beauty I don't necessarily mean the perfect polished crystal that has the least imperfections- what I mean is the ones that stand out for their natural beauty. I personally prefer rough natural crystals to polished ones as I can really feel their natural properties coming through.  Crystals can come in all shapes, sizes.... and prices!! But again its not always the most expensive that are the most effective. 

 Cleansing Crystals

The first thing to do when you get a crystal is to cleanse it. The crystal will have absorbed energies from anyone that has picked it up, it will then be stored inside the crystal- and these energies arn't always good ones! There are a number of ways to cleanse a crystal, but these are my preferred methods:

• Place it under running water- ideally a natural source of running water such as a stream, but under a tap can work just fine. 
• Pass it through incense- I usually place a row of crystals on top of my incense burner and as the incense stick burns down the crystals in turn get cleansed.
• Place them under the moonlight- ideally on the full moon, they will become energized as well as cleansed.
• Place them outside in the rain- during a thunder storm is ever better- I love this method!!

(Be careful with crystals like selenite when using any water method- as they don't like the water one bit, it breaks them down)

 Charging Crystals 

Next you can charge your crystals- different crystals have many associated properties, but a crystal can actually be programmed to your exact needs. For example, if you have a headache you can hold the crystal and empower it to help relieve headaches, visualise the crystal taking away the headache, tell the crystal it needs to relieve headaches, spend a little time focusing on this whilst holding the crystal...then sit back and watch it do its magik- place it on your forehead and away you go. Crystals that already have properties known to help relieve headaches (such as amethyst) will work even better. (that combined with your empowerment of the crystal= no need to drive to the shop for paracetamol...great stuff!) Crystals can be charged and empowered to do almost anything you wish- give it a try!

Crystals  come in all sorts of presentations- you can get rough pieces of Crystal, geode formations, crystal wands and crystal Jewellery (amongst many others). Crystal Jewellery is a great way to keep your crystal close throughout the day, point pendants are my favourite way to wear them. Below is my collection of crystal point pendants. (Top left-right) we have amethyst, aqua aura, a small fluorite and rose quartz. (bottom left-right)  moonstone, smokey quartz and an unknown black crystal- possibly jet or obsidian.

My crystal point pendants

Amethyst- this is a good all rounder. It is known to help addictions and sobriety as well as relieve headaches, stress and depression.

Aqua Aura- this is created by fusing together quartz and gold at very high heat and the combination of the two is very powerful. It works well with the throat chakra and aids speech and communication as well as being a very protective crystal.

Fluorite- is a really beautiful crystal with stunning colours of purple and green. It is a very balancing crystal and helps stabilise the aura. It helps us with decision making and helps boost the immune system. 

Rose quartz- is a very well known crystal and promotes love- in particular self love. Wear this to attract love, maintain love and appreciate love. Its one to always have close by.

Moonstone- is great for pregnancy and child birth- this pendant was actually worn by my sister when she gave birth to my nephew- who I proudly delivered! the labour went very smoothly indeed (thanks to the moonstone and the great midwife im sure ...and a little due to the hard work and bravery of my sister too :p) Being a midwife this is a great one for me to wear to work- if even a little of its energy reaches my patients then that's a bonus! 

Smokey quartz- was my very first crystal pendant and its extremely grounding. It also helps transform negative energies into positive ones. It is a stone of serenity and can leave a very calming and relaxed effect on the wearer. 

The last crystal I have is the little black unknown one. Black crystals are fantastic at absorbing negative feelings and emotions, they are usually very powerful crystals that have to be handled with care and cleansed very often due to the amount of negativity they absorb. 

 When I first started with crystals one of the methods I used (and still use) when I purchased new crystals it to close my eyes and select one, hold it and see how it makes me feel. This way you are not influenced by the look or colour of the crystal or what you perhaps have already read about what the properties of that particular crystal should be. Write them down and keep your own record- how a crystal works for one person may not necessarily be the same for another, so go with your own instincts. 

Often you are drawn to particular crystals that you need in your life at that present time- so take note, they might just be telling you something about yourself you didn't even realize.

Storing crystals

• Its always worth having an amethyst cluster stored with your crystals as this naturally cleanses crystals around it.
• Don't store them in direct sunlight- some crystals don't like this and can become very discolored.
• don't hide them away in a dark drawer where you cant benefit from their energies- have them close by!

I could write for hours upon end about crystals but I would like to go into more detail on my individual crystals and their uses in future posts, so for now ill leave it at the crystal basics and hopefully it may have helped one or two of you who are new to crystals and crystal healing.

Tools and Magik

What is Magik?

Magick is the art of transformation, of creation and of manifestation. We all have to ability to perform Magik if we have enough self belief. Magik is not the same as the 'magic' a magician would perform when pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Real Magik is all about the mind and how it can be used to shape reality and create all sorts of desired outcomes.

The religion of Wicca teaches the one rule 'And it harm none...' to always be applied to any kind of Magik performed. Although I don't follow the Wiccan path entirely- you just cant go wrong with this rule. Don't intentionally hurt anyone- that's all. Whatever you put out there into the universe will come back to you- its the law of attraction. The law of attraction is another very interesting subject in itself- which I wont dive into quite yet, but for me it links very closely with Magik and manifestation. The law of attraction looks at the belief combined with science that 'like attracts like', everything is made up of energy- even our thoughts, energy attracts other like energy- hence a positive thought will attract positive things, a spell focused on achieving career success will attract career success, and in the same way a spell to do harm may just bring that harm back upon yourself! 

 Tools are aids to help Magik manifest. I believe that tools are not essential to performing Magik- it is all about the mind. But if you have them tools can be extremely helpful in helping the Magik to manifest- they intensify it! Tools don't have to be expensive items- tools you have found of made often have more of your personal energy attached to them and therefore are more effective. 

The Wand

I will start off with one of the most well know tools- used often by our good pal' Harry Potter and his mates....The Wand!! The wand is a tool used to direct our energies. Unfortunately we don't see the sparks fly out of the end like in the films- but the principle is pretty similar. Our energy is pulsed through the wand and directed at whatever intent we have. 

 Tips on finding your perfect wand

• The wand should be approx the length from the tip of your finger to your elbow- but go with whatever feels right.
• Hand made wands tend to be more effective- find a piece of branch on the floor that attracts your attention (avoid breaking it off a living tree- there are plenty lying around that are just longing to be transformed into wands!)
• Try to find one that comes to a natural point 
• Then  the rest it personal preference, you can use it au natural or sand it down, varnish it, stick crystals onto it.... get creative! 

Wands purchased from a shop can also be very effective-  when i spotted my favourite wand in the cabinet of a crystal shop I thought 'wow- I have to have that'... I was just so drawn to it. I couldn't quite justify the money for it that month so I ended up purchasing its baby sister (pictured below) and the following month returned to get the one I fell in love with- and I still find it to be such a wonderful wand, just perfect for me. 

My Wands

The Athame

 

My Athames

The Athame is a ceremonial dagger- usually with a black handle. It is a ritual tool often used within the religion of Wicca amongst other pagan practices and religions. Similar to the wand the Athame is used to direct energy and represents the magical element of fire. 

I have two Athames- the wooden one was the first I owned but I never really connected with it so I searched around until I found the black handled one- it was just what I was looking for and a perfect size. You can spend nothing at all or serious amounts of money on these tools- but again its not always the most expensive that will be the most effective- it can often be quite the opposite.

The Chalice

The Chalice is similar to a goblet- often used in ritual to carry water, wine or an offering to the goddess/god. It represents the Goddess and her womb- a symbol of fertility. 

Some people like very fancy jewelled chalices, others prefer a simple cup. I got the one pictured to the left at the Mercian Gathering Camp for a bargain price of £2.00!

I find the colour silver to be perfect for a chalice due to the association the goddess/moon.

The cauldron

Typically the Cauldron is made from cast iron and stands on 3 legs. It is also representative of the goddess, her womb and fertility. 

Larger cauldrons can be made to make brews and herbal tinctures. As much as I would love a big cauldron in the kitchen- I think my other (non pagan) half may have something to say about that- so my compromise is this little miniature cauldron pictured to the right. Its a perfect size for me and I use it mainly to burn incense. Just place a charcoal cube in the bottom, light it and leave for a minute or two- then sprinkle on your herbs and away you go- fabulous home made incense! It can also be used for scrying with water/ink, or to hold candles- a tool with many uses!

Candles

Candles are brilliant tools- candle Magik is one of the most powerful forms of Magik for me. 
One of the simplest spells to perform is simply carving your desire into the candle and then lighting it and watching it burn down- focusing on your intent as it burns. 
Candle scrying is also very effective- stare into the flame and let go of all thoughts. After a while you will start to see things within the flame and smoke- letters, pictures, names.

Different candle colours have different uses and meanings.

•  I find white is quite universal- and if you are short of colours a white will usually be a good stand in. 
• Black is great for banishing and ridding of negativity. 
• Blue is perfect for healing
• Pink is excellent for romance and love 
• Silver is for connecting with the Goddess
•  Use gold  for connecting with the God

The Pentacle

The pentacle is something I wish to cover in more detail in future blog posts, but in summary the pentagram is an extremely powerful symbol and can also be used as a tool. Due to the media this symbol often has very negative connotations and for people who are not educated about its meaning it can conjure ideas of evil and 'the devil'. The symbol is actually has a very opposite meaning- each point represent one of our sacred elements- earth, air, fire, water and spirit. It is a very powerful symbol often worn by pagan members as a means of protection. 

 

 The Broom/Besom

 The Broom or besom has been adopted by the media to show witches flying around cackling as they glide through the nights sky. I have to say im a little gutted that isn't really the case- I would save a fortune in petrol!!! The besom is actually a tool used to sweep away negative energy and to cleanse and clear a space, often prior to or after a ritual. 

The Bell

The bell is sometimes used in ritual to begin or end the rite. It can also be used to invoke the goddess or god.

The vibrations of a bell when rang are known to be very powerful and cleansing. I remember watching a you-tube video that advised when your home has that 'stagnant' dull feeling and you cant quite place why- go round ringing a bell, ring it in every room across all the walls and into all of the corners- I was so surprised at how much this actually works! The vibrations really stir up all that stagnant energy!!

The Book of Shadows 

Left to Right- My newest BOS, My first BOS

The book of shadows is a private place where you can write down all of the important things relating to your craft or beliefs. It can include spells that work, chants, poems, information on herbs, crystals, tools, dream analysis, meditations- absolutely anything relevant to your beliefs. My first BOS turned out to be more of a notebook-  but that is fine- its only for you to refer back to, and you shouldn't be forced to show it to anyone.

There are many many more tools to be covered but in fear of this becoming too long winded I will leave it with those for this post. As I said at the start I don't feel any of these tools are essential to perform ritual or magik but they can certainly aid it and help it on its way!! Again I want to throw in here that these are only my opinions and I by all means do now know everything about these tools/items- just from what I have experienced myself. If anyone else has any differing opinions I would love to hear them- I am always looking to learn new things and expand my knowledge!